RTHK: Jury selected for Steve Bannon contempt trial A jury was selected on Monday for the trial of former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena to testify before lawmakers investigating the attack on the US Capitol. Bannon, who led Trump's successful 2016 presidential election campaign, was among dozens of people called by a congressional committee to testify about the 2021 storming of Congress by Trump supporters. The 68-year-old refused the summons and was indicted on two charges of contempt of Congress. A 22-person jury was selected on Monday to hear the case. The panel will be cut down to 12 jurors and two alternates on Tuesday, and opening arguments will begin in what is expected to be a speedy trial. Bannon's lawyers sought to delay the start of the trial so it would not take place at the same time as the House committee's public hearings into the Capitol attack, but the judge refused the request last week. Thousands of Trump supporters, many associated with ultra-nationalist and white supremacist groups, stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 in an effort to block the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election victory. They had been egged on by Trump in a fiery speech near the White House, during which he repeated his false claims of election fraud. According to the House committee probing the riot, Bannon spoke to Trump the previous day. Investigators believe Bannon and other Trump advisors could have information on links between the White House and the rioters. After refusing to testify for months, Bannon finally agreed this month to cooperate with the House investigation, a move prosecutors said was a "last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability" by stalling his trial for contempt. Judge Carl Nichols ruled the trial should go ahead anyway, saying, "I see no reason for extending this case any longer." If convicted of contempt, Bannon faces a minimum sentence of 30 days and a maximum of one year in prison on each count. Bannon was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering after allegedly defrauding thousands of donors to a campaign to fund Trump's anti-migrant wall along the southern border. In Trump's final hours in office, he pardoned Bannon. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2022-07-19. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 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 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Authorities across China recently announced changes in employee health insurance, lengthening the total overall contribution period to 30 years for men and 25 years for women. The move has sparked heated online debate, with many suggesting that repeated rounds of mass Covid testing has emptied out government healthcare coffers, leaving regular people to foot the bill, RFA reported. When the scheme started, women in the southern province of Guangdong were paying into the scheme for a maximum of 20 years, and men for 25 years. The longer compulsory contribution period for all employees took effect from July 1. A resident of Wuhan surnamed Gao said he has been asked for additional contributions by his employer to make up the shortfall in minimum contributions. "Now that the regulations have been revised, the burden on ordinary people will be heavier, whether they can afford it or not. This has a huge impact; some people have shorter working lives, and it's simply not possible for them to contribute for 30 years," he said. Gao blamed the incessant rounds of mass testing for Covid, which he said has drained government coffers of more than 300 billion yuan, RFA reported. The government is now seeking to make up the shortfall in funding with extended contributions from employees, he said. "There must be a problem with funding; otherwise it wouldn't skyrocket like that all of a sudden," he said. Guangdong-based sociologist Zhang Yang said the problem is now very serious, because not many people are in a position to pay into the system for three decades. "Many people can't even get work by the age of 25 nowadays. Graduates or doctors are of necessity over 30 years old (due to the length of their studies or training)," Zhang said. "Now the government is asking people to keep paying out for 30 years, but you only pay social and medical insurance if you have a job. If you don't have a job, you can't pay in," he added. The eastern province of Shandong was the first to lengthen minimum contribution time at the end of 2021, RFA reported. --IANS san/arm ( 370 Words) 2022-07-19-19:28:02 (IANS) Despite political objections in China and some skirmishes on the Chinese side of our border, the Ladakhis accorded a grand welcome to the 14th Dalai Lama on July 15. This is his first visit to Ladakh after it became a Union Territory in 2019. More than 10,000 Ladakhis and Tibetans, monastics and lay people, young and old, school children in uniform among them, created a human chain to greet the Dalai Lama as he returned to Ladakh after at least three years due to the pandemic. From Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche to Thikse Rinpoche of Thiksay Monastery and other senior Lamas were present to greet him. Tashi Gyalson, Chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), his colleagues Jamyang Namgyal, MP, Thupten Chhewang, President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and Acharya Tenzin Wangdak, President of the Ladakh Gompa Association (LGA), as well as district officials, former government servants and representatives of various organisations were also present to pay their respects. At the Leh market, many shops have decorated their outlets with lights, candles and/or flowers to express their happiness in having the Dalai Lama return to Ladakh. Some even painted their shops or restaurants for the occasion. New Khatags were put on almost all shops which had the Dalai Lama's photograph. The popular book shops in the market had kept all His Holiness' books on display and on priority rows as a gesture of love and gratitude for him. Interestingly, it was a Friday when the Dalai Lama landed in Ladakh and on that day a special make-shift market is formed at the centre of the Leh market, mainly for the Jummah crowd. Irrespective of being a Muslim or Buddhist, shopkeepers and other locals were in t-shirts with pictures or quotations of the Dalai Lama. Conversations with local Ladakhis and tourists from different parts of India and abroad over the weekend indicated irritation towards China for its "illogical and political" take on the Dalai Lama's visit to Ladakh. On some instances, this perception was coupled with praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a bold stand in conveying birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama on July 6. While speaking to local security forces, they made it amply clear that notwithstanding the tight security, should there be any ugly incident or clashes in connection with the visit of the Dalai Lama to Ladakh, the locals here are united beyond imagination to protect him and give their life for him, if required. Overall, there is an extremely positive vibe in Ladakh with the Dalai Lama in town. Everyone is looking forward to his teachings and prayers over the month. People, including tourists, are curious to participate in his programmes and are trying ways to meet him for his blessings. Large number of Tibetans living and working in different parts of the county have been returning to Leh to attend to the teachings of the Dalai Lama and also use the opportunity to be with their families. --IANS arm/ ( 512 Words) 2022-07-18-20:36:02 (IANS) Congress workers offered prayers at a Lord Shiva temple at the 10 Janpath premises of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Although till now it has been discussed on social media that there is only a church and a tomb in the premises, but now such pictures have come where party workers are seen worshipping in the temple. Congress sources said that the Gandhi family performs 'Jalabhishek' to Lord Shiva on the first Monday of Sawan. At the same time, the family has also been offering prayers for many decades. However, the family refrains from giving the picture of worship to the media, as they want to keep it personal and religion is a matter of faith for them. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi has also described himself as a Hindu 'Brahmin' 'Shiv Bhakt'. While talking to IANS, Arun Tripathi, a Congress worker who performed the puja at 10 a.m in the Janpath premises, said, "This temple in Janpath complex is very old and today I have come to worship this morning." The Gandhi family has also been offering prayers here for many years. Worshipping Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri has a lot of significance. On Maha Shivaratri, Sonia Gandhi every year sends worship material to the ancient Katas Raj Lord Shiva temple in Pakistan and 'Abhishek' is done on her behalf. Katas Raj is a famous pilgrimage place for Hindus located in the Namak Koh mountain range in the northern part of Pakistani Punjab. --IANS msk/anm/uk/bg ( 261 Words) 2022-07-18-20:38:04 (IANS) A Delhi-based male model and his woman accomplice have been arrested for supplying premium quality charas -- Malana Cream -- to youngsters in the Delhi University area, an official said on Monday. The accused, who have been identified as Shubham Malhotra alias Sunny (25) and his 27-year-old girlfriend, were arrested along with 1.01 kg charas worth over Rs 1 crore in the international market. Interestingly, the accused was using his female associate as a shield. They were carrying a pillow in the car while traveling with the contraband and the woman used to pretend as if she had a baby in her lap, just to deceive the police at the check-posts. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rohti Meena said a police team was working on tip-offs that someone is supplying charas in the Delhi University area. "On July 12 we received information that Malhotra was supply the charas after procuring it from Malana. It was also informed that he had gone to Himachal Pradesh to procure charas from where he will return on that very day," the DCP said. Subsequently, a police team was constituted which laid a trap at Singhu border near Delhi. "At about 6.40 am Malhotra's Honda Accord car was identified by a secret informer but it could not be stopped due to heavy rain and high speed of the car," the officer said. Parallely, a police team was rushed towards the Old Gupta Colony in Delhi and another team started chasing the car which was being driven by the accused. The accused duo was intercepted at the Old Gupta Colony Chowk after a chase of 45 minutes and one packet of charas was recovered from the dashboard of the car, concealed behind the music system. The police have registered a case under Sections 20, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act after arresting both the accused. --IANS uj/arm ( 328 Words) 2022-07-18-20:50:03 (IANS) The West Bengal assembly on Monday witnessed verbal duels between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP with each party alleging violation of polling norms by the other. Soon after the polling started on Monday morning, a total of 69 BJP legislators, led by the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, reached the assembly premises to cast their votes. They were sporting Panjis, a yellow piece of cloth that represents tribal culture. They said that since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, Draupadi Murmu, was representing the tribal community they sported the Panjis as an expression of solidarity with Murmu. However, the Trinamool Congress objected to the sporting of these pieces of cloth that represent tribal culture by the BJP legislators within the assembly premises where the Presidential poll was being conducted. West Bengal finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya told mediapersons that they have informed the chief election officer (CEO), West Bengal, about this alleged violation of the model code of conduct. "Not just the BJP legislators, but also the election agent of the NDA candidate, was sporting the same piece of cloth. It is to influence the poll within the assembly premises. We would like to see what action the Election Commission of India takes in the matter," she said. Suvendu Adhikari rubbished such allegations and said that sporting a piece of cloth that represents a tradition of a particular community under no circumstances violates the model code of conduct. The BJP too has complained to the CEO against the Trinamool Congress's national general secretary and party MP, Avishek Bandopadhyay alleging violation of the model of conduct when he came to the assembly to cast his vote. BJP's legislator from Purulia assembly constituency Sudip Mukhopadhyay, who filed the complaint with the CEO, told media persons that violating the norms Avishek entered the assembly premises in a 15-car convoy and with a huge number of followers, a clear violation of the code of conduct. "As per norms, an MP or an MLA, is supposed to come to the assembly for voting in a car where he will be accompanied only by his driver and none else. So this is a clear violation of model code of conduct," he said. However. Trinamool Congress's chief whip in the West Bengal assembly, Nirmal Ghosh said the BJP is unnecessarily politicising the issue. "Avishek is entitled to Z-category security and hence came in the convoy," Ghosh said. --IANS src/bg ( 420 Words) 2022-07-18-20:54:02 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed a seminar titled 'Swavlamban' organised by the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) wherein he underlined India's goal of self-reliance in defence forces. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that the goal of self-reliance in the defence forces is very important for India of the 21st century, and organising the first 'Swavlamban' (self-reliance) seminar for a self-reliant Navy is an important step in this direction. The Prime Minister said that the resolution of creating 75 indigenous technologies in this period of making new resolutions for India is inspiring in itself, and expressed confidence that it will be fulfilled very soon. "We have to work to continuously increase the number of indigenous technologies. Your goal should be that when India celebrates 100 years of Independence, our Navy should be at an unprecedented height," he said. Referring to the importance of oceans and coasts in India's economy, the Prime Minister said that the role of the Indian Navy is continuously increasing and therefore self-reliance of the Navy is of critical importance. Recalling the glorious maritime tradition of the country, the Prime Minister said the defence sector used to be very strong even before Independence as India was an important supplier of defence equipment during World War II. "Our howitzers and machine guns made at the Ishapur Rifle Factory were considered the best. We used to export a lot. But then what happened that at one point in time we became the world's biggest importer in this field," Modi asked. The Prime Minister said that a self-reliant defence system is critical for the economy and also from the strategic point of view. He said the country has worked in mission mode to reduce this dependence after 2014. "Innovation is critical and it has to be indigenous. Imported goods can't be a source of innovation," he said. In the last eight years, the Prime Minister noted that the government has not only increased the defence budget, but "we have also ensured that this budget is useful in the development of the defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country". "Today, a large part of the budget earmarked for the purchase of defence equipment is being spent on procurement from Indian companies," Modi said, as he complemented the defence forces for preparing a list of 300 items that will not be imported. As India is establishing itself on the global stage, Modi said there are constant attacks through misinformation, disinformation and false publicity. "The forces that are harming India's interests, whether in the country or abroad, have to be thwarted in their every effort," Modi said. "As we are moving forward with the 'whole of the government' approach for a self-reliant India, a similar 'whole of the nation' approach is the need of the hour for the defence of the nation. The collective national consciousness is the strong basis of security and prosperity," the Prime Minister concluded. --IANS avr/arm ( 507 Words) 2022-07-18-21:42:04 (IANS) Except a few MLAs, most legislators and Parliament members in the northeastern states on Monday cast their vote in the 16th Presidential election. In Assam, 123 of the 126 MLAs, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his cabinet colleagues, Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia cast their votes for the presidential polls in the state assembly. Congress MLA Bharat Chandra Narah has sought permission to exercise his franchise in the Parliament as he is in Delhi for medical treatment. Two MLAs of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) -- Suzzamuddin Laskar and Nizamuddin Choudhury -- are currently outside the country as they are away in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj. Legislators of both ruling BJP-led alliance and opposition Congress, AIUDF and others were seen queuing on the assembly premises before voting began at 10 a.m. AIUDF supremo and Lok Sabha Member Badruddin Ajmal had earlier announced that his party with 15 MLAs would vote in favour of opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. AIUDF MLA Karimuddin Barbhuiya claimed that at least 20 Congress MLAs have cross-voted in favour of BJP-led NDA candidate Darupadi Murmu. In Tripura, except three MLAs -- Tribal Welfare Minister Rampada Jamatia, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) MLA Brishaketu Debbarma, and CPI-M legislator Sudhan Das, all other 57 MLAs including Chief Minister Manik Saha and opposition leader Manik Sarkar have cast their vote in the state assembly in Agartala. BJP's ally -- IPFT legislator Debbarma did not cast his vote on Monday as he resigned from the Assembly in June 2021, and joined the TIPRA (Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance) headed by Tripura's royal scion, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman. Debbarma's resignation was, however, not yet accepted by the Assembly speaker Ratan Chakraborty due to some procedural reasons. Tribal Welfare Minister Rampada Jamatia and CPI-M MLA Sudhan Das, who are now in Delhi to attend the official and organisational meetings there, have cast their votes in the Parliament House. In Mizoram, all the 40 MLAs of the state Assembly including Chief Minister Zoramthanga exercised their franchise to elect 15th President of India. In Manipur, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh was the first to cast his vote in the Presidential election and all the 60 MLAs of the state have cast their vote to elect the new President. In Meghalaya, Members of Parliament and legislatures including Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma have cast their votes at the specially designed polling station in the annexe hall within the premises of the Assembly Secretariat at Rilbong. Sangma, who is the President of the ruling National People's Party, later tweeted: "Along with other legislators of Meghalaya, cast my vote today for the Presidential Elections 2022. Wishing Smti Draupadi Murmu Ji the very best!" In Nagaland, 59 of the 60 sitting members of the Nagaland Assembly including Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio cast their votes. Additional Secretary of the Nagaland Assembly and Assistant Returning Officer of the elections Khruohituonuo Rio said that Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Y.M. Yollow Konyak could not cast his vote due to health issues. After casting his vote, while speaking to the media Chief Minister Rio expressed confidence that there will be no cross-voting among the legislators and that the NDA's candidate will get 100 per cent votes from the state. In Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his cabinet colleagues and all other MLAs have cast their votes in the state assembly premises. --IANS sc/pgh ( 581 Words) 2022-07-18-22:34:01 (IANS) A total of 198 MLAs out of 200 in Rajasthan cast their vote in the 16th Presidential election on Monday. Bhartiya Tribal Party MLA Rajkumar Roat and Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma did not turn up for voting. While Sharma is unwell, Roat's son is not well. NDA Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu is contesting the election against Opposition's nominee Yashwant Sinha. After voting, the ballot box and other election material were sent to Delhi amid tight security, said Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta. He said that the voting process was completed in a confidential manner. The guidelines of the Election Commission of India were ensured during the voting. Along with this, the Covid guidelines were also followed. Special security arrangements were made in and outside the polling premises. Gupta said that after the conclusion of polling, the ballot box containing the ballot paper was sealed under the supervision of the observer appointed by the Election Commission, Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, and in presence of the representatives of the presidential candidates. MLAs Rajendra Rathod, Jogeshwar Garg and Ramlal Sharma were present on behalf of NDA Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu while MLAs Mahendra Chaudhary and Amit Chachan were present on behalf of Opposition's nominee Yashwant Sinha, Gupta said. The Chief Electoral Officer added that after the voting, the sealed ballot box and other election materials were airlifted to Parliament House, Delhi along with other officials including Assistant Returning Officer Dr. Jogaram and Vinod Mishra. "The voting process was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner as per the guidelines given by the Commission," he said, adding the counting of votes will be held on July 21 at 11 a.m. at the Parliament House. The polling for the 16th Presidential election in the Rajasthan Assembly premises began in Jaipur at 10 a.m. with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot among early voters. The government's chief whip in the Assembly, Mahesh Joshi, also reached there to cast his vote. Till 4.45 p.m. on Monday evening, 198 MLAs had cast their vote. The polling ended at 5 p.m. --IANS arc/pgh ( 361 Words) 2022-07-18-22:54:01 (IANS) A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed the Central government for not granting permission to attend a conference in Singapore, the BJP on Monday attacked him questioning why the chief minister wants to attend an event meant for mayors. BJP Lok Sabha Member from West Delhi Parvesh Verma said that the programme in Singapore has nothing for Kejriwal because he does not have any department matching subject of the event. "It's a mayors' summit yet Kejriwal is so desperate to go there," Verma said. Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta also questioned the Chief Minister's desperation to attend the Mayor's summit. BJP Lok Sabha Member from North East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari shared an invitation of the event showing mayors and other functionaries of cities in various countries listed as guest. "Why is Delhi Chief Minister who does not have charge of any department in the government so desperate to go to Singapore," Tiwari tweeted. National in-charge of BJP Information and Technology Department Amit Malviya pointed out that Hemali Boghawala, Mayor of Surat, for instance, has also been invited from India. "Arvind Kejriwal is seeking permission to attend a conference in Singapore, which is meant for Mayors. Someone remind him that he is still the Chief Minister of Delhi unless he thinks otherwise. Hemali Boghawala, Mayor of Surat, for instance, has also been invited from India," Malviya said. BJP youth wing national secretary, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga said: "Kejriwal is attacking the Central government for not giving him permission to attend the summit in Singapore. But the summit is of Mayors, Kejriwal is a Chief Minister. If he thinks he is just a Mayor he should announce publicly." A day after he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi citing the delay in getting approval for his planned visit to Singapore, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday again said that he doesn't understand why the Centre is obstructing his visit to Singapore. "The government of Singapore has specially invited me to present the Delhi Model at the World Cities Summit. I am an elected Chief Minister, I am not some petty criminal... fail to understand why the Centre is blocking my Singapore visit," Kejriwal said while talking to the media. On Sunday, the Delhi Chief Minister had written to the Prime Minister, alleging that he was not being allowed to go to Singapore. "Blocking a Chief Minister from attending such an event is against the interests of the nation. Kindly grant permission," the letter read. --IANS ssb/pgh ( 432 Words) 2022-07-18-23:30:02 (IANS) Muzarai Minister Shashikala Jolle on Monday said that the state-level conference of the priests of the temples under the Muzarai department of the state will be organized in the last week of September. The state government has brought out several schemes for the development of Mujarai priests. Several years of demands including an increase in Tastik money, and insurance facilities for priests have been fulfilled. For this, the members also submitted a request to organize a meeting of priests on behalf of the Mujarai department. In the 16th meeting of the third State Religious Council which was held at Vikasa Soudha in Bangaluru, several religious issues of the state were discussed. The Minister has instructed to fill up the vacant post of judicial member of the State Religious Council as soon as possible. 60 per cent of the posts in the Mujarai department are vacant. A letter has been written to the Finance Department to allow recruitment to fill this. It was assured that quick action will be taken after discussing with the Chief Minister. The commissioner was instructed to conduct a review to provide more good facilities to the devotees at the state's major shrine Kukke. The Minister also instructed the Commissioner to take steps to conduct mandatory Zilla Priya Parishad meetings in all the districts and to take steps to form a Zilla Priya Parishad in the new district of Vijayanagar. The Minister instructed the Commissioner to take necessary steps for a complete renovation of the Karnataka Chhatra at Kashi. Also ordered to depute additional personnel as required immediately. In the meeting, the member secretaries of the State Religious Council and Commissioner of Mujarai Department, Rohini Sindhuri, the members of the State Religious Council, Dr Maharshi Ananda Guruji, S. Govinda Bhatt, K. Surya Kashekodi, Subhas Kamble, Ramachandra Matti, Vijayalakshmi Hiremath, Y.S. Siddalingaprabhu and important officers of the department were present in the meeting. (ANI) Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus was on Monday illuminated with tri-colour lights on the eve of the commencement of the week celebrating 'Azadi Ki Rail Gaadi aur Stations'. On Monday, the Central Railway gave a memorable start to the iconic week of the "Azaadi ki Rail Gaadi aur Stations" event with various activities organized as part of the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" celebrations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai. Anant Laxman Gurav and Motilal Shankar Ghongade, both Freedom fighters and families of 7 more freedom fighters, flagged off the historic Punjab Mail in presence of Anil Kumar Lahoti, General Manager, Central Railway, Shalabh Goel, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Division. Both the Freedom fighters, along with the families of 7 more Freedom fighters, were also felicitated during the event. Speaking to the media, the General Manager said "Railways have played an important role in the freedom struggle movement. It is a matter of pride that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Pune, Satara and Nashik Road stations of Central Railway and Punjab Mail and Hutatma Express from Central Railway have been selected to be a part of this Azaadi ki Rail Gaadi aur Stations event." Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai is an important part of history since the first train on the Indian sub-continent ran from here and Mumbai has been one of the centres of the freedom struggle movement," GM said. It is also a proud moment for Central Railway that one of the most prestigious and oldest trains, the Punjab Mail, was flagged off on Monday. The oldest and one of the most prestigious trains on the Central Railway, the Punjab Mail, was one of the 27 trains selected by Indian Railways to be decorated and flagged off as part of the celebrations. The Punjab Mail, which had its maiden run out of Ballard Pier Mole station on June 1, 1912, completed 110 years of its service recently. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, a UNESCO World Heritage site, city icon and headquarters of the Central Railway was one among the 75 Railway Stations selected as one of the most photographed buildings in India and was specially illuminated to commemorate this historic occasion. The "Azaadi ki Rail Gaadi aur Stations" event also featured Nukkad Natak by artists of Central Railway and Deshbhakti songs by the Central Railway RPF band. Principal Head of Departments, Senior Officers from Headquarters and Mumbai Division of Central Railway were also present during the occasion. (ANI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived in Delhi to hold a discussion regarding Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations and said the state government is committed to providing justice to them. The Chief Minister arrived at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi late on Monday. Speaking to Media, Shinde said, "I have come to Delhi to hold a discussion regarding OBC reservations as the Maharashtra government is committed to providing justice to OBCs. It's important from the state's perspective. We held discussion with lawyers on our preparation for the OBC reservation case (in SC)." Responding to the plea in Supreme Court by the Uddhav Thackeray camp challenging disqualification which is to be heard on July 20, the Chief Minister said he has faith in the judiciary. "We have unwavering faith and trust in our judiciary. In a democracy, the majority (in Assembly) holds significance. We have followed all the rules," Shinde said. The Supreme Court on July 20 will hear pleas filed by both factions of the Shiv Sena pertaining to the Maharashtra political crisis. A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli will hear pleas on Wednesday filed by Uddhav Thackeray-led camp and Eknath Shinde camp. Uddhav Thackeray-led faction had approached the top court challenging the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari's decision to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government and also the Speaker's election and floor test. They had also challenged the newly appointed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker's action recognising the whip of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde group as the whip of Shiv Sena. The plea said the newly appointed Speaker has no jurisdiction to recognise whips nominated by Shinde as Uddhav Thackeray is still the head of the Shiv Sena official party. Thackeray camp's Sunil Prabhu had filed a plea seeking suspension from the Maharashtra Assembly of new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending. Shinde group challenged the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker to 16 rebel MLAs as well as the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader, is also pending before the apex court. On June 29, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. Refusing to stay the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30, the bench had issued notice on Prabhu's plea against floor test. After the apex court's order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn-in as the Chief Minister. (ANI) Margaret Alva, the Opposition candidate for the Vice-Presidential poll, is all set to file her nomination for the vice presidential election on Tuesday. Opposition parties on Sunday decided to field former Rajasthan Governor and former Union minister Alva as their joint candidate for the vice presidential election. Notably, today is the last date for filing nominations for the August 6 election. NCP chief Sharad Pawar announced on Sunday, "We have unanimously decided to field Margaret Alva as our joint candidate for the post of Vice President." The decision came after the opposition party leaders met in New Delhi at Sharad Pawar''s residence to select a joint VP candidate. Alva, who is pitted against the NDA''s Jagdeep Dhankar who filed his nominations on Monday, said in a tweet: "It is a privilege and an honour to be nominated as the candidate of the joint Opposition for the post of Vice President of India. I accept this nomination with great humility and thank the leaders of the opposition for the faith they''ve put in me". "Margaret Alva, former Governor, former Union Minister, long time MP and very distinguished representative of India''s wonderful diversity is the common Opposition candidate for Vice-President," tweeted senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh. The term of Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu -- who won the election comfortably in 2017 -- ends on August 10. The NDA has fielded West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar as its joint candidate for the post of Vice President. The decision to field Alva was taken at a meeting of opposition leaders of 17 parties at the residence of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Jagdeep Dhankhar, who filed his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, said that he is grateful to the PM and his able leadership for this opportunity. "Not even in my dreams did I think that a common man like me would be given such an opportunity. A farmer''s son has filed his nomination today...Grateful to PM Modi and the leadership for this opportunity," said Dhankhar after filing his nomination. He filed his nomination papers for the Vice-President''s post on the day when Presidential elections are being held. His name was announced for the second top constitutional post by BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday. Immediately after filing the nomination, Dhankhar said that he will strive for the democratic values of the country. "I will always strive to enhance the democratic values of the country. Never thought even in my dreams that a person with a humble background like me will get this opportunity." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, and BJP chief Nadda was present when Dhankar filed his nomination. JP Nadda said Dhankhar was a "Kisan-Putra" (son of a farmer) who has established himself as a "people''s governor". Nadda has also urged all the parties including UPA allies to support the NDA vice presidential candidate. Dhankhar, who is a lawyer by profession, entered into politics in 1989. He became the governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has made headlines since then over his tumultuous relations with the Mamata Banerjee government. Earlier on Sunday, Jagdeep Dhankhar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who congratulated him on his nomination as NDA''s VP candidate and said his understanding of ground problems and constitutional knowledge will greatly benefit the country. The Union Home Minister wrote in a tweet in Hindi, "Congratulations to Shri @jdhankhar1 ji on being elected as NDA''s Vice Presidential candidate. Born in a simple farmer family, Dhankhar ji''s life was dedicated to the welfare of the people and upliftment of the society." "I am sure that his understanding of ground problems and constitutional knowledge will be of great benefit to the country," Shah tweeted.(ANI) The Congress is planning to attack the BJP-led central government over price rise and the GST issue. Congress will hold protests against the recent hike in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates on Tuesday in Parliament and party leader Rahul Gandhi is also likely to attend the protest. While speaking to media persons on the GST hike, Congress Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday had said that they will protest at the Gandhi statue and also inside as well as outside the House. "We will fight it tomorrow, will protest at the Gandhi statue and also inside as well as outside the House. We have appealed to all parties to fight against price rise, GST hike," said Kharge. Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Binoy Viswam also criticised the Central government over the change in GST rates and said the party will fight it terming the hike "absolutely anti-people". "GST hike is absolutely anti-people, we will fight it," said Viswam. Earlier on Monday, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJP and shared a graph on Twitter showing how commodities like curd, paneer, rice, wheat, barley, jaggery and honey are being taxed now. There was no tax on these items of mass consumption earlier. "High taxes, No jobs. BJP's masterclass on how to destroy what was once one of the world's fastest-growing economies," he said. The recommendations on Goods and Services Tax rates that were made during the 47th GST Council meeting held in June came into effect from Monday. Pre-packaged and labelled pulses, and cereals like rice, wheat, and flour (atta) will now attract 5 per cent GST when branded and packed in a unit container, whereas curd, lassi, and puffed rice would attract 5 per cent tax cent when pre-packaged and labelled. Other items such as curd, lassi, and puffed rice too would attract GST at the rate of 5 per cent when pre-packaged and labelled. The decision to hike GST on these items were taken in the recently held 47th GST Council meeting in Chandigarh. It is also clarified that a single package of these items [cereals, pulses, flour) containing a quantity of more than 25 Kg or 25 litre would not fall in the category of a pre-packaged and labelled commodity for the purposes of GST and would therefore not attract GST. Other items that will be dearer are printing, writing or drawing ink, knives with cutting blades, paper knives, pencil sharpeners and blades, spoons, forks, ladles, skimmers, and cake-servers. These items would now attract 18 per cent instead of 12 per cent. LED lamps and solar water heaters too will attract 18 per cent tax. Further, Tetra Pak (or aseptic packaging paper) used for packaging liquid beverages or dairy products will now attract 18 per cent GST instead of 12 per cent. Cut and Polished diamonds will be taxed at 1.5 per cent compared to 0.25 per cent earlier. Also, hotel accommodation rates up to Rs 1000 per day will now be now taxed at 12 per cent, On the other hand, tax on transport of goods and passengers by ropeways would decline to 5 per cent from 18 per cent. Renting of truck/goods carriage where the cost of fuel is included will be cheaper as the tax is reduced to 12 per cent instead of 18 per cent. (ANI) Along with the rest of the country, 80 lakh national flags will be hoisted in houses, offices and commercial establishments across Assam from August 13 to 15, 2022. According to the official release, this will be done as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga Programme, being implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' to mark the celebration of the 75 years of Independence. Under this initiative, 20 crore tricolours will be hoisted across the country with the active participation of the public. In Assam, the target is to cover 80 lakh rural and urban households including the government and private institutions, schools and commercial establishments. The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and promote awareness about our national flag. In Assam, the Cultural Affairs Department has started preparations for the successful implementation of the programme with the Panchayat and Rural Development, Information & Public Relations Department and other govt departments. Accordingly, the Panchayat and Rural Development Department has started the production of national flags of different sizes locally through Self-Help Groups. The department will also set up stalls at district and village levels so that national flags can be made available for purchase by the public at their nearest locations. Similarly, to ensure mass participation of the public in the Har Ghar Tiranga programme, extensive awareness activities are also being taken by the Assam Government across the state. (ANI) Parliament's Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will examine the working of the Information Technology Act 2020 on Tuesday. The officials from the Ministry of Information and Technology are likely to appear before this Committee. The notice that was sent out to the members of the committee reads, "Briefing by the representatives of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on the subject 'Review of functioning of Information Technology Act, 2000." Officials from the Ministry who are likely to appear before the committee include the MEITY Secretary among other senior officials. The committee will be discussing this crucial issue at a time when Twitter has moved court against the government, and it is once again reiterated demands to remove insufficient IT laws and clearance of new IT Rules. There has been increasing demand for bringing stringent rules to ensure net neutrality, data privacy, and algorithmic accountability of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. As per sources Twitter went to court questioning the arbitrary request by the Ministry for information and technology to remove certain posts from the microblogging site. "Twitter Inc., being an 'Intermediary' as defined under section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 is expected to follow the laws of India while operating in India and the repeated violations, and non-compliance of Directions issued by the designated officer appointed under section 69A of the IT Act has necessitated initiating appropriate proceedings under the IT Act, 2000," the Ministry had said in its notice to the social media giant. The Indian government in the notice further reiterated that it was essential for Twitter to comply with the intermediary rules. "MeitY grants Twitter Inc. one last opportunity to comply with all directions issued under section 69A of the IT Act, by 4th July 2022. If Twitter Inc. continues to be in violation of these Directions and therefore the IT Act, significant consequences under the IT Act shall prevail, including loss of immunity as available to you being an intermediary under sub-section (1) of section 79 of the IT Act AND liable to punishment to offences as prescribed in the IT Act 2000," Indian government's notice to Twitter Further stated. "All government policies, laws and rules are focussed on ensuring that every Indian Digital Nagrik always has an open, safe and trusted, accountable internet. These policy objectives and obligation to comply always with Indian law form the boundary conditions for all intermediaries operating in India," according to government sources. "Indian Internet and the Digital Nagrik welcome every Global and Indian intermediary/platform to offer their service/product in India but with clear expectations of their conduct to be in compliance with the aforementioned boundary conditions," the sources further added. Twitter, an intermediary under the IT act has been repeatedly in violation of directions issued under the IT act and today they were issued a notice after several efforts of seeking compliance. (ANI) Revolutionary Socialist Party's Lok Sabha MP NK Premachandran on Tuesday has given the suspension of business notice in Lok Sabha over the incident of forcing girl students to remove innerwear before entering the examination hall during the NEET examination and demands discussion on it. "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the matter of urgent importance, namely: The incident of Forcing girl students to remove innerwear before entering the examination hall during the NEET examination yesterday in Ayur Marthoma College, Kollam, is highly deplorable and a high-level independent enquiry is required. The incident took place in my constituency," wrote Premachandran to the Speaker. Young women and girls who appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) at a private educational institution in the Kollam district of Kerala suffered a humiliating experience on Sunday when they had to remove part of their undergarments to be allowed to write the exam. According to the father of one such 17-year-old girl, who was sitting for her first ever NEET exam, his daughter is yet to come out of the traumatic experience wherein she had to sit for the over 3-hour long exam without an innerwear. Reacting to the incident, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Monday said the test was not organised by a state-run agency and what happened indicated a grave lapse on the part of the organisers. The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on July 18 and will continue till August 12. There will be 18 sittings during the Session. This session is important given the fact that the Presidential Election and the Vice Presidential Election will be held during this period. The Presidential Election will also be held on Monday while the Vice Presidential election will be held on August 6. Price rise, the Agnipath scheme and unemployment are some of the issues which are likely to be raised by the Opposition during the Monsoon session. (ANI) Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in a veiled attack termed the Eknath Shinde's faction as "snakes". "Learn the skill of crushing the fun too.....Do not leave the forest because of the fear of snakes... Jai Maharashtra!!," tweeted MP Raut on Tuesday morning. The tweet was made amidst indications from sources that the Uddhav-Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction seems to be in for another major setback as 12 of the party's 18 party MPs are in touch with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and are likely to switch sides to his camp. Newly inducted Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde had on Monday arrived in the national capital and according to sources is likely to make an announcement in a a press conference on the matter. Speaking to reporters after his arrival here yesterday, Shinde said he was confident that all 18 Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MPs will meet him on July 20. The Supreme Court on July 20 will hear pleas filed by both factions of the Shiv Sena pertaining to the Maharashtra political crisis. "Shiv Sena MPs will meet us. We have 18 MPs, not just 12," Shinde said. Talking about the purpose of his visit to the national capital, Shinde said, "I have come to Delhi to hold a discussion regarding OBC reservations as the Maharashtra government is committed to providing justice to OBCs. It's important from the state's perspective. We held discussion with lawyers on our preparation for the OBC reservation case (in SC)." Yesterday, Shinde had chaired a meeting of MLAs in Mumbai. "Today Ramdas Kadam came for the meeting after resigning... but we reappointed him and he will be working again for the Shiv Sena," Shinde had said. Kadam, a former minister in the Uddhav Thackeray government had resigned expelled by the Uddhav Thackeray camp on Monday. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list the petition preferred by 14 Shiv Sena MLAs of the Uddhav Thackeray challenging the initiation of "illegal" disqualification proceedings against them under the Tenth Schedule along with the other petitions related to Maharashtra's political crisis that are slated to be heard on July 20. The new writ petition was mentioned before the bench of CJI NV Ramana, Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli by Senior Advocate Devdat Kamat. Speaking on the plea pending in the Supreme Court, Shinde said, "We have unwavering faith and trust in our judiciary. In a democracy, the majority (in Assembly) holds significance. We have followed all rules." This is Eknath Shinde's second visit to the national capital since taking oath of office on June 30. He is slated to return to Mumbai tonight. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday gave the suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha over problems in the MSP Committee that was constituted for the welfare of farmers and demands discussion on it. In the notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Chadha wrote, "I hereby give notice under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) of my intention to move the following motion for suspension of business listed for 19th July 2022: That this house suspends Zero Hour and other relevant rules relating to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to have a discussion on the Committee on MSP constituted by Government of India which is anti-farmer and violates the principles of federalism through non -representation of States, especially Punjab." "It is pertinent to note that most of the members of the above-mentioned committee had extended their support to the three draconian farm laws which were later withdrawn by the Government. Also, some of them are active members of the ruling political party. Therefore, one cannot expect them to do justice to the cause of farmers," Chadha wrote. The government on Monday formed a committee on Minimum Support Price (MSP), eight months after it promised to set up such a panel while withdrawing the three contentious farm laws. Former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal will be the chairman of the committee. The government has made a provision to include three members from Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) as part of the committee but the farm organisation has so far not given any names to be part of the panel. Under the umbrella of SKM, thousands of farmers had held around one year-long agitation at Delhi borders and forced the government to withdraw the farm laws. The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on July 18 and will continue till August 12. There will be 18 sittings during the Session. This session is important given the fact that the Presidential Election and the Vice Presidential Election will be held during this period. The Presidential Election will also be held on Monday while the Vice Presidential election will be held on August 6. Price rise, the Agnipath scheme and unemployment are some of the issues which are likely to be raised by the Opposition during the Monsoon session. (ANI) Shortly after filing nomination papers for the Vice-Presidential elections to be held on August 6, Veteran Congress leader and Opposition candidate Margaret Alva hopes to 'build a strong and united India'. "It is a privilege and honour to be nominated as the candidate of the joint opposition for the post of Vice President of the Republic of India. I accept this nomination with great humility and thank the leaders of the Opposition for the faith they have reposed in me," said Alva after filing her nomination papers. She said, "I believe this nomination is an acknowledgement, by the united Opposition, of the over fifty years I have spent in public life, as a member of both Houses of Parliament, a Union Minister, a Governor, a proud representative of India at the United Nations and on other global platforms, and as a fearless champion of women's rights and the rights of underprivileged and marginalised groups and communities across the length and breadth of our great nation." "Over these fifty years, I have worked for my country with integrity, courage and commitment, my only obligation: to serve without fear, the Constitution of India," she said. Alva said that she will fight for what is important to India-- to uphold the pillars of democracy, to strengthen our institutions, and for an India that is 'Saare Jahan se Accha'. "The coming together of the Opposition to support my candidature for the post of Vice President of India, is a metaphor of the reality that is India. We come from various corners of this great country, speak different languages, and follow different religions and customs. Our unity, in our diversity, is our strength. We fight for what is important to us: to uphold the pillars of democracy, to strengthen our institutions, and for an India that is 'Saare Jahan se Accha', that belongs to each and every one of us. In India where there is respect for all - for the farmer in the field, the ASHA nurse in the village, the small town kirana store owner, the student in college, the office worker, the unemployed youth, the housewife, the worker in the factory, the journalist, the government officer, the jawan at the border, the entrepreneur and so many more," she said. Alva said that she had spent her life fulfilling her commitments, with integrity and courage and now hopes to find common solutions and help build a strong and united India. She said, "I have spent my life fulfilling my commitments, with integrity and courage. Elections don't frighten me - winning and losing is a part of life. However, it is my belief that the goodwill, trust, and affection of members across party lines in both houses of Parliament, that I've earned, will see me through, and continue to guide me as one who works to bring people together, to find common solutions and helps build a strong and united India. Jai Hind." Congress leader and Opposition candidate Margaret Alva today filed her nomination papers for the Vice-Presidential elections to be held on August 6. She was accompanied by the Congress's Rahul Gandhi, besides other opposition leaders, including NCP's Sharad Pawar, CPM's Sitaram Yechury and CPI's D Raja. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the National Investigation Authority (NIA) on a plea filed by activist and poet Dr P Varavara Rao, an accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case, seeking bail on medical grounds. A bench of Justices UU Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia said that its order of extending the interim bail granted on medical grounds Rao will continue. The apex court posted the matter for final hearing now on August 10. "Interim protection granted earlier on medical grounds extended till further orders," said the bench in its order. Earlier, the top court had extended Rao's interim bail till further orders. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for NIA while senior advocate Anand Grover represented Rao. Rao has challenged an April 13 judgment of the Bombay High Court which had rejected his plea for permanent bail. The High Court, however, had extended the time for Rao to surrender before the Taloja prison authorities by three months, to enable him to undergo cataract surgery. It had also rejected Rao's application to stay in Hyderabad instead of Mumbai, while out on bail. In his appeal, Rao has said that he has undergone over two years of incarceration as an under-trial, and is currently enlarged on bail on medical grounds by the Bombay High Court. "Any further incarceration would ring the death knell for him as advancing age and deteriorating health are a fatal combination," stated the plea. Rao has challenged the High Court order as he was not granted an extension of bail, despite his advanced age and precarious and deteriorating health condition, and has been denied the prayer to shift to Hyderabad. He was arrested on August 28, 2018, from his home in Hyderabad and is an under-trial in the Bhima Koregaon case for which FIR was lodged by the Pune Police at Vishrambagh Police Station on January 8, 2018, under various sections of IPC and several provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Rao, who was initially put under house arrest pursuant to the order of the top court, was ultimately taken into police custody on November 17, 2018 and later shifted to Taloja Jail. Rao in his appeal said that in the totality of circumstances, the trial will take not less than ten years. In fact, one of the accused in the case, Father Stan Swamy, who was suffering from similar ailments as the Petitioner, passed away even before the trial could start, his appeal added. In February 2021, the Bombay High Court granted him interim bail on medical grounds and he was released from jail on March 6, 2021. (ANI) Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Tuesday replied 'No' to a query of a Lok Sabha MP when he asked whether incidents of terror attacks are rising in the country. Rai said that the "situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir and that there has been a substantial decline in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021". In a written reply to the question of DMK leader A. Ganeshamurthi, the Minister said, "No, Sir". "Combating terrorism is a continuous process. The Government has taken various steps in this regard including strengthening of the legal framework, streamlining of intelligence mechanism, setting up of National Investigation Agency (NIA) for investigation and prosecution of terror-related cases, having various hubs of National Security Guards (NSG), stepping up the border and coastal security, modernization of police forces and capacity building of state police forces," Rai said. The Minister further said, "due to concerted and coordinated efforts of all the stakeholders, terrorism-related violence has been contained to a large extent in the country." The Minister also shared data that mentions that 244 terrorist incidents happened in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 while the number decreased to 229 in 2021 in the Union Territory. As per the data, 62 security personnel and 37 civilians were killed in terrorist incidents that occurred in 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir while 106 security force personnel and 112 civilians were injured in these attacks. The killing of security force personnel in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021 witnessed a sharp decrease with 42 incidents, while 41 civilians were killed in the terror attacks during the period, mentioned the data. A total of 117 security personnel and 75 civilians were injured in the attacks in 2021 in Jammu and Kashmir, the data reveals. Rai said the government has a policy of "zero tolerance against terrorism and the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir". "There has been a substantial decline in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021." Upon being asked about "the time by which the situation in Jammu and Kashmir would be brought to normal so that democratic process can be started in the Valley", Rai said the Central government has taken various measures to normalize the situation in the Kashmir valley. "These include a robust security and intelligence grid, proactive operations against terrorists, intensified night patrolling and checking at Nakas, security arrangements through appropriate deployment and high level of alertness maintained by the security forces," said Rai. Moreover, the MoS said, the Central government has taken several steps for all round development of Jammu and Kashmir including implementation of the Prime Minister's Development Package, 2015; flagship programmes; establishment of IIT and IIM; two new AIIMS and fast tracking of infrastructure projects in roads and power. Besides, the Minister said, a new Central Scheme is being implemented for the industrial development of Jammu and Kashmir with an outlay of Rs 28,400 crores which would provide employment to 4.5 Lakhs persons. Furthermore, he said, the government had constituted a delimitation Commission, which notified orders on March 14 and May 5 this year on the delimitation of Parliamentary and Legislative Assembly Constituencies of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. "Thereafter, the Election Commission of India has initiated revision of electoral rolls of voters of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The decision to schedule elections is the prerogative of the Election Commission of India," Rai added. (ANI) University Grants Commission on Friday observed that the Digital University of Skill Resurgence is offering various degree courses which are in gross violation of the UGC Act, 1956, said the officials on Tuesday. The Commission also cautioned the students against taking admissions to the university located in Wardha, Maharashtra. "It has come to the notice of the University Grants Commission that 'Digital University of SkillResurgence (A Virtual Meta University)', 54, Samarat Nagar Near Hindi University, RingRoad, Wardha (Maharashtra)-442001 is offering various courses/programmes in gross violationof the UGC Act, 1956," read a public notice by UGC. The Act stipulates the right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised only by a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act or an institution deemed to be a University under section 3 or an institution specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees. "Save as provided in sub-section (1), no person or authority shall confer, or grant, or hold himself or itself out as entitled to confer or grant, any degree. Whereas, the Digital University of Skill Resurgence" is neither enlisted under Section 2(f) or section 3 in the list of Universities nor empowered to award any degree as per Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956," said UGC Secretary, Rajnish Jain. As per UGC no institution, whether a corporate body or not, other than a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act shall be entitled to have the word "University" associated with its name in any manner whatsoever. The UGC secretary further warned both students and their parents to not take admissions to the above-mentioned self-styled institution and said," Taking admission in such self-styled institution may jeopardise the career of the students." (ANI) The Central Government has received a proposal from the Government of West Bengal for renaming the State as "Bangla" in all three languages ie. Bengali, English and Hindi, informed Ministry of Home Affairs in the Parliament on Tuesday. Minister of State in MHA, Nityanand Rai in a written reply to the Lok Sabha has informed that MHA has given "No Objection Certificate (NOC)" to the proposals received during the last five years, for changing the name of cities across the country. "A proposal has been received from the Government of West Bengal for renaming the State as "Bangla in all three languages i.e. Bengali, English and Hindi," he informed in the Parliament. All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Saida Ahmad has asked a question on the details and the number of proposals received by the Ministry of Home Affairs for getting approval to change the cities name across the country, and whether the Government has revamped the guidelines for changing the names of the heritage places. Rai replied that MHA has no such guidelines for the change of names of heritage places. In the year 2017, Andhra Pradesh city "Rajahmundry" name was changed to "Rajamahendravaram". In 2018, Jharkhand town "Nagar Untari" name was changed to Shri Banshidhar Nagar. During the same year, Madhya Pradesh Nagar Panchayat town, "Birsinghpur Pali" name was changed to "Maa Birasini Dham". In the same year, Uttar Pradesh city "Allahabad" name was changed to "Prayagraj". In the year 2021, Madhya Pradesh city "Hoshangabad Nagar" name was changed to Narmadapuram and city "Babai" name was changed to "Makhan Nagar. In the year 2022, Punjab city "Shri Hargobindpur" name was changed to "Shri Hargobindpur Sahib". He further informed that, in addition to the above details, a proposal for changing the name of "Nasrullaganj Nagar" to "Bherunda" has been received in the Ministry of Home Affairs on April 25, 2022, from the Government of Madhya Pradesh. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant interim relief to the victim's father in the Kallakurichi girl death matter and rejected his oral plea seeking an interim stay on the re-postmortem ordered by the Madras High Court. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana rejected an oral plea made by the father of the student to stay the re-postmortem of the body which is to be held today as per the direction of the Madras High Court. The lawyer of the parents of the Kallakurichi girl mentioned his plea seeking an urgent hearing of the petition seeking to include a medical expert of their choice in a team which will conduct re-postmortem. The Madras HC order has rejected the victim's father's plea. The top court agreed to hear the victim's father's plea tomorrow. Violence had broken out in Kallakurichi as protesters set ablaze buses and school property demanding justice for the dead student. On Sunday, more than a thousand people staged a protest in front of the school demanding justice for the student's death. Protesters pelted stones at the police van. According to Police officials, "the deceased girl died by suicide on Tuesday night on the school premises and there was a note found in which it was alleged that two teachers from the school tortured her, forcing her to study all the time." The student's death case was registered under section 174 (unnatural death). Meanwhile, a notice has been issued to all private nursery, matriculation and CBSE schools that remained closed on Monday following violent protests over the death of a schoolgirl at a private residential school in Kallakurichi district in north Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, School Secretary, Principal, school correspondent and 2 teachers were sent to 15 day-remand in connection with the death of the 17-year-old school girl in Kallakurichi, Tamil NaduThe Directorates of Matriculation on Tuesday sent a notices to 987 private schools, seeking an explanation from them over the closing of schools against the government's instructions. Condemning the violence on Kallakurichi school, 987 schools in Tamil Nadu remained closed on Monday. Earlier Government warned that there will be stern action if any private school decided to close operations. Directorates of Matriculation School stated that post the explanation from the school we will take further steps. The Supreme Court has refused to stay the second autopsy scheduled later today. The student's father has moved the top court with a plea to include a doctor of their choice in the panel that conducts the second round of post-mortem examination. (ANI) In the wake of 19 labourers going missing near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh's Kurung Kumey district, state BJP MP Tapir Gao on Tuesday said that the government is taking up the labourer missing case seriously and it will be solved soon. One labourer died and 18 others went missing near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh's Kurung Kumey district. The labourers who were engaged in road construction in Arunachal Pradesh's Kurung Kumey district were missing for the last 14 days. All 19 are missing since July 5 from the project site and the body of one labourer was found in a nearby river. "They were BRO labourers. Generally, labourers from Assam and other parts of the country aren't used to staying in hilly regions, so they (19 labourers) might have fled, but one body was found. Police trying to establish whether it belongs to that group or is a different case," said BJP MP Tapir Gao. "The road project is under BRO. I would like to make it clear Indo-China border is very far from Damin (in Kurung Kumey) so it's within Arunachal Pradesh very much...Police and government are trying to establish detailed information on how much is true," added the Arunachal Pradesh MP. Bengia Nighee, Deputy Commissioner of Kurung Kumey district told ANI over the phone that, the body of one labourer was found in a small river named Furak river under Damin circle on Monday. "A police team and the Circle officer of Damin have moved towards the site today morning. The labourers were engaged in a road construction work at Huri area under Damin circle," Bengia Nighee said. The Damin circle area is located along the India-China border. "Most of the missing labourers are from Muslim community and they might have left the site on July 5 to celebrate Eid in their locality," Nighee said. Damin is about 130 km from Koloriang and the construction site is another 15 km from Damin. The LAC with China is about 80 km from Damin, the last administrative circle in that area, officials said. (ANI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Surendra Singh Bishnoi who was mowed down by a truck while probing illegal stone-mining in Nuh and said the culprits will not be spared. He said strict action will be taken against the mining mafia in the state. "We will control the mining mafia in the state and the culprits will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against them," he said. Khattar said police posts will be created near mining areas and the destination of mining vehicles and their equipment will also be fixed. "Posts will also be set up at the inter-state borders," Khattar said. The Chief Minister said that the state government will provide a job to one of the family members of the deceased police officer. "It is an unfortunate incident. A truck belonging to the sand mafia ran over him over the DSP officer. Our condolences go out to the bereaved family. A total of Rs 1 crore would be provided in compensation to the kin of the martyred police officer. We would also provide a job to one of his family members," he said. He also spoke about 'martyr status' to the deceased officer. The Chief Minister said the DSP performed his duty with bravery and the dumper truck involved in the incident has been identified. Senior Haryana Police officers have rushed to the spot. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij told ANI that "every single" accused will be nabbed. "We've already tightened the system. Even yesterday we held a drive across Haryana and around 400-425 anti-social elements were nabbed. We have such drives from time to time. I myself monitor it every week, I ask the officials personally about the progress," he said. "It can't be tolerated. As soon as I came to know, I told DGP that a reply to this incident will be given even if he has to use the Police of the entire district, nearby districts or reserve police. Every single one of them (accused) will be nabbed," Vij added. Earlier, addressing the media, the Home Minister said a team of the police was there with the officer when he went at the spot to conduct a raid and added that nobody involved in the incident will be spared. "We will not spare anyone. Strict action will be taken against the accused. Rs 50 lakh is given to police personnel from the bank and the government will also give Rs 50 lakh to the family of the deceased DSP," he said. Haryana Mining Minister Mool Chand Sharma also said that "strict action" will be taken against the guilty. "I want to tell people to have faith in CM Manohar Lal Khattar and the state government. We will take strict actions against the accused. We also had discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he said. Congress MP Randeep Surjewala, however, hit out the government and accused it of being "in league" with the mining mafia. The party demanded a probe under a panel headed by the Chief Justice or a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. "The mining mafia in Haryana is in cohorts with the BJP-JJP government in the state. We demand an investigation under the Chief Justice or a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It should also be investigated who in the government is involved with the mining mafia and the report should come in the next 30 days and the culprits should be punished. The deceased DSP should be given compensation of at least Rs 5 crore," Surjewala said. Earlier today, ADG Ravi Kiran, IGP south range said that Surendra Singh had gone for a surprise inspection. "He had gone or a surprise inspection based on a tip-off. Didn't come with backup force as he may not have found time for it. He was run over by the accused. No weapons were used," Kiran said. The brother of the deceased officer, Ashok Manju said, "I spoke with him today only. He was retiring this year. He has two children." (ANI) As many as five fire tenders were rushed to the building in Delhi's New Ashok Nagar area where a fire broke out on Tuesday evening. The fire brigades rescued all the 12 people who got stuck amid the fire and there were no casualties reported in the mishap. The fire tenders reached on time and began extinguishing the fire and rescue operation. After several attempts, the fire on the first floor was completely doused. In the incident, no person was injured."There were 12 men stuck inside the New Ashok Nagar building which caught fire. All were rescued and there were no casualties. The building had 3 floors and the fire on the first floor had been completely doused. No one has been injured in the incident," said Feroz Khan, Fire station officer The building comprises of Ground with 3 floors and the fire started on its first floor. (ANI) Refuting reports of power tussle within Karnataka Congress, state party chief DK Shivakumar on Tuesday asserted that 'Congress coming to power is more important than him becoming Chief Minister'. "It is more important for the Congress to come to power than for me to become the Chief Minister. Only if the Congress party comes to power, the post of Chief Minister will be available. The party high command will decide who should be the chief minister candidate. I am the party president after SM Krishna from the Vokkaliga community and I have requested that the Vokkaliga community should stand behind me," said KPCC president DK Shivakumar. While participating in a media conference organized by the Mysore District Journalists' Association, journalists asked him if he had indirectly hinted at becoming the CM by saying that the Vokkaliga community has a candidate better chance to become the Chief Minister, he said, "What am I, a monk? I have come in khadi clothes, I have not come in 'kavi' clothes. But finally, the party will decide who should be the chief minister. More importantly than me becoming the Chief Minister, the Congress government should come to power. That's what matters to me," he said. On the question of whether your community will stand with you at this time, he said, "Not just one community, all the communities of the state should stand in our support, regardless of party. We have followed a secular principle and are not leaders of any caste or religion. I have appealed to the Vokkaliga community for support as a Congress leader." The next Karnataka Legislative Assembly election is scheduled to be held in or before May 2023 to elect all 224 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said that the Journalists Welfare Fund (corpus fund) would be increased by Rs 2 crore, said the Chief Minister's Office. "The media plays an important role in bringing the achievements of the government to the people. It is the responsibility of the Information Department to take all the achievements and welfare schemes of the government to the common man," said Dhami, added the CMO. "It should be ensured that with better coordination with the media, all the achievements of the government reach the common people through various mediums," he stated, as per the CMO. Earlier today, under the chairmanship of Dhami, a meeting of Journalists Welfare Fund was organized at the Secretariat. Along with naming the pension given to the journalist as Chief Minister Journalist Pension Scheme, its rules should also be simplified, Dhami added. Monthly assistance given to veteran journalists has been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000. He directed the senior officers of the Information Department to make a concrete plan for the welfare of journalists. In the meeting today, an amount of Rs 36 lakh was approved from the Journalists Welfare Fund for the dependents of journalists and seriously ill journalists. It was decided in the meeting that in cases where the application forms are not yet complete, they should be given one more chance to complete the application form. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that keeping in mind the interests of journalists, the State Government is making efforts to provide them all possible facilities. They are aware of the problems of journalists, they try to solve these problems expeditiously. The Chief Minister said that such meetings would be organized in future also to solve the problems of journalists. Dhami said that in 2025, Uttarakhand will celebrate the silver jubilee of the state's establishment. The state government is trying to bring Uttarakhand among the leading states of the country in every field by 2025. All the departments have been asked to prepare a roadmap till 2025 and bring the works on the ground. On this occasion Special Principal Secretary Information Abhinav Kumar, Director General Information Ranveer Singh Chouhan, Additional Director Dr. Anil Chandola, Joint Director KS. Chauhan was present. (ANI) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday emphasised on the need for effective training system in armed police forces to fulfil expectations, instil a sense of duty and achieve goals. The Minister's remark came while chairing a review meeting of the Central Police Training Institutes (CPTIs) here in the national capital. Speaking on the occasion, the Union Home Minister said under Mission Karmayogi launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, training of police personnel up to the level of Constable, Sub Inspector and DSP should be conducted with a holistic approach. He said, "60 per cent training for all policemen should be common to all, while 40 per cent training should be force-based so that we can make the best use of our training capabilities". Shah said that it is very important that training of policemen should change with the times. He emphasised on both, strictness and sensitivity in training and said that along with modern techniques, there is a need to inculcate the spirit of patriotism, fitness, discipline, sensitivity and self-dedication in police forces. Shah said that the use of technology and modern equipment in the training of police forces is the need of the hour, but at the same time, we should focus on basic policing and put it into practice. Shah stressed the need to review the impact of online training for policemen at all levels. Presentations were made by Central Police Training Institutions emphasizing upon the importance of the right training at the right time to build up the capacities of the police personnel for providing prompt and effective responses to the ever-changing nature of security challenges. Discussions were also held on the relative merits of Hybrid Learning and Emerging Training Paradigms, Training Methodologies and Techniques including the importance of assessment of Training Need Analysis (TNA), Productivity of Training Resources, Trainers Development, Dissemination of Best Practices, Research & Publications, Standardization of Study Material, e-Content, Best Practices in Training Evaluation, Training Infrastructure Development, Expansion of Training Capacity, New Initiative and Innovations in Training and Training on Disaster Management. Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Directors General of the Central Police Forces and the Bureau of Police Research and Development, and Heads of Central Police Training Institutes attended the meeting. Representatives from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Central Academy for Police Training, Bhopal, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Academy, Border Security Force (BSF) Academy, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Academy, National Industrial Security Academy, National Security Guard (NSG), North East Police Academy, Sashtra Seema Bal (SSB), Bhopal, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) participated in the meeting. (ANI) Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said that the government formed with BJP is getting full support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Addressing a Press conference here in Delhi, Shinde said, "Some days back in Maharashtra, we established this government with BJP and we're getting full support from the people of the state. PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are giving us support. PM Modi has told us that he'll support all development projects in the state." Maharashtra Chief Minister arrived in Delhi on Monday to hold a discussion regarding Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations. He said the state government is committed to providing justice to them (Other Backward Class). Speaking to Media, Shinde said, "I have come to Delhi to hold a discussion regarding OBC reservations as the Maharashtra government is committed to providing justice to OBCs. It's important from the state's perspective. We held discussion with lawyers on our preparation for the OBC reservation case (in SC)." Meanwhile, Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut in a veiled attack termed the Eknath Shinde's faction as "snakes". "Learn the skill of crushing the fun too.....Do not leave the forest because of the fear of snakes... Jai Maharashtra!!," tweeted MP Raut on Tuesday morning. The tweet was made amidst indications from sources that the Uddhav-Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction seems to be in for another major setback as 12 of the party's 18 party MPs are in touch with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and are likely to switch sides to his camp. Responding to the plea in Supreme Court by the Uddhav Thackeray camp challenging disqualification which is to be heard on July 20, the Chief Minister said he has faith in the judiciary. "We have unwavering faith and trust in our judiciary. In a democracy, the majority (in Assembly) holds significance. We have followed all the rules," Shinde said. The Supreme Court on July 20 will hear pleas filed by both factions of the Shiv Sena pertaining to the Maharashtra political crisis. Uddhav Thackeray-led faction had approached the top court challenging the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari's decision to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government and also the Speaker's election and floor test. They had also challenged the newly appointed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker's action recognising the whip of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde group as the whip of Shiv Sena. The plea said the newly appointed Speaker has no jurisdiction to recognise whips nominated by Shinde as Uddhav Thackeray is still the head of the Shiv Sena official party. (ANI) In view of Kanwar yatra, meat shops on the pilgrimage route will remain shut while liquor-store counters facing the road will open in the opposite direction, said Haridwar District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey on Tuesday. The order will continue till the time Kanwar Yatra continues. Meat shops to be closed from July 14 to July 27, added the administration. Police forces are deployed to ensure that order is not violated. "Meat shops on the Kanwar yatra route will remain shut while liquor-store counters facing the road will open in the opposite direction...About four crore Kanwar yatris expected," Suprintendent of Police (City)Swatantra K Singh, Haridwar told ANI. "All liquor stores will be covered from the outside while meat shops will be shut on Kanwar yatra route.Our force deployed everywhere to ensure that the order is not violated.This will continue till the time Kanwar yatra continues," Pandey told ANI. The 'Kanwar Yatra' is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva's devotees that started Thursday. The Kanwariyas (pilgrims) visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga. They then worship Lord Shiva with the same water. As per the DM Vinay Shankar's orders, all the schools, government, non-government closed, private schools, Sanskrit schools, madrasas, and Anganwadi centres of the district will remain closed from July 20 to July 26. The pilgrimage is taking place this year after a restriction of two years, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The DM has also instructed the police to get the Kanwariyas registered. Earlier on Wednesday, the Uttarakhand administration had announced that pilgrims with swords, tridents and other such harmful objects will not be allowed during the Kanwar Yatra, and had declared to seize these objects at the border itself. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had said that the state government expect a footfall of more than 5 crore pilgrims during the holy month of Shravan, and assured that all arrangements for a safe Kanwar Yatra were made by the state administration. 'Sawan' (Shravan), which is considered to be the most auspicious month of the year, started on July 14 (Thursday). The month holds great significance for devotees of Lord Shiva, who is considered the Supreme Lord, the creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe, according to Hindu religious beliefs.During the month of Shravan, the devotees observe fasts on Mondays which are considered to be particularly auspicious days of the month. Lord Shiva is worshipped on Mondays throughout the year and the Mondays of this month are especially significant with the whole month being dedicated to the lord. The festival is celebrated predominantly in north India. This year Sawan started on July 14 and will end on August 12. Four Mondays fall during this period- July 18, July 25, August 1, and August 8. (ANI) A Delhi-bound GoAir aircraft was rejected take-off from Leh due to a dog on the runway, said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday. The flight (VT-WJJ) that was scheduled to take off from Leh (G8-226), was rejected the take-off. "GoAir aircraft VT-WJJ operating flight G8-226 (Leh - Delhi) was rejected take-off due to a dog on the runway," said DGCA. Meanwhile, after frequent engineering-related glitches were reported in several airlines, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) conducted several spot checks and advised that all aircraft at base and transit stations shall be released by certifying staff holding a licence with appropriate authorization by their organization, said officials on Monday. The DGCA mentioned that there have been reports of increased engineering-related occurrences in scheduled airlines in recent times. In order to ensure that airlines are adhering to the laid down standards, DGCA has conducted several spot checks in the recent past. The spot checks carried out by DGCA teams have indicated the improper identification of the cause of a reported defect, increasing trend of minimum equipment list (MEL) releases and non-availability of required certifying staff to cater to multiple scheduled arrivals/ departures in a short interval. "It is also seen that airlines are resorting to frequent one-off authorisation to Category A certifying staff at transit stations which is not in line with existing regulatory provisions. Keeping the above in view, it has been decided that all aircraft at base and transit stations shall be released by certifying staff holding Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (AME) Category B1/B2 licence with appropriate authorization by their organization," read the letter. "The airlines are therefore advised to position certifying staff (AME Category B1/B2 licence) at all base and transit stations including the availability of required tools and equipment. Alternatively, you may opt for sending the certifying staff on flight duties. The compliance with the above shall be ensured by July 28, 2022, under intimation to their office," added the letter.The move comes after several instances were reported in the country where flights were diverted citing safety or functioning issues. An Air India Express aircraft while operating from Calicut to Dubai was diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was observed from one of the vents in the forward galley of the flight on Saturday. (ANI) "It has been brought to the notice of the Safdarjung Hospital and VMMC that a pregnant woman delivered a baby outside the GRR on July 19, 2022. She was examined by the senior resident on duty at 5.45 PM on July 18, 2022 in GRR," said Health Ministry's statement. "In view of the above, you are requested to submit a detailed report within 48 hours on the above issue," the statement added. Earlier on Tuesday morning, a woman delivered her baby on the floor outside the emergency department of Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena on Tuesday, after he claimed to have received a threat letter from an anonymous person, said that the Rajasthan government has "taken a soft approach" towards extremist outfit Popular Front of India which has "boosted their morale" to threaten people. Notably, Meena said that he received a threat letter from one Kadil Ali who threatened him for life. Following the incident, the MP said that he wrote to Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot urging the latter to conduct an enquiry into the matter. Speaking to ANI, Meena said, "I had gone to meet the family of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur after he was beheaded. I had announced to give my one-month salary to his family. It has been mentioned in the threat letter that I extended help to the one who committed the crime. It said that you have committed a crime and will have the same condition as his." "I have sought an investigation from the Chief Minister. I have also sent the letter to the top officers. I had taken part in the agitation against the Karauli incident as well where I had sought the arrest of the culprits. The main accused are the people connected with the PFI. Matroob Ahmed has not been arrested till now. There is fear in the minds of the people, I demand from the Chief Minister to free the people of this fear," he added. Notably, violence broke out in the Karauli district of Rajasthan on April 2 after a stone-pelting incident at a religious procession. Elaborating on the violence, the BJP MP said that PFI had warned the state government before the incident, however, the Gehlot government had a soft approach towards them leading to their morale boost. "PFI had warned the government before the incident that had taken place in Karauli. Later on, a PFI hand was discovered in the incident. The Rajasthan government has a soft approach towards them because of this their morale has increased. Due to this, they are threatening people time and again. The government should deal with them strictly," he said. "I have not received any response from the Chief Minister so far. He may respond in the future. I have also written to Nityanand Rai," Meena added. The BJP leader further said that Kanhaiya Lal, who was beheaded in Udaipur for supporting Nupur Sharma on social media, would not have been killed if he had been given security. "Common people should be free from fear. They should be given security. Had Kanhaiya Lal gotten security, he would not have lost his life. There should be strict action against the perpetrators," he said. (ANI) Four days after a pro-Khalistan poster was found pasted on the wall of Shri Kali Mata Mandir, the Patiala Police on Tuesday cracked the case by arresting two persons linked with Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), said IG Patiala MS Chhina and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Patiala Deepak Pareek. A poster of SFJ related to the 'Khalistan referendum' was seen pasted on the back side wall of Shri Kali Mata Mandir on the intervening nights of July 14 and 15. Those arrested have been identified as Harwinder Singh alias Prince, a native of village Salempur Sekhan in Shambu and currently residing in Rajpura and Prem Singh alias Prem alias Ekam of village Salempur Sekhan in Shambu. The police have also recovered 13 posters of SFJ related to Khalistan referendum, two Mobile phones and Bike used for committing the offence. IG Patiala MS Chhina and SSP Pareek, while addressing a press conference said that the entire investigation of this case was monitored by the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab and various teams were formed to investigate the case. He said that thorough technical investigations revealed that the poster was pasted by Harwinder alias Prince and Prem after some foreign-based anti-national elements lured them to perform such acts in lieu of money or through the offer of settling them abroad. The SSP said that Harwinder Singh alias Prince worked in Malaysia for over two years, where he came in contact with some anti-national elements and after coming back from Malaysia he was still in contact with these persons through WhatsApp. "One of the person abroad contacted Harwinder Singh alias Prince and takes him to paste these posters at various places in Punjab," he said adding that the foreign handlers sent him the money through money transfer. The posters were placed at a pre-determined location and were picked by the accused from that location, SSP Pareek said adding that after receiving the posters and the money, the accused pasted the posters at four places including the Cantonment area in Ambala, Aryan College in Rajpura, Shri Kali Mata Temple in Patiala and on a traffic sign board near Sheetla Mata Temple, Bahadurgarh in Patiala. Moreover, the accused had also written pro-Khalistan slogans using spray paint on an underbridge in Rajpura, he added.The SSP said that the accused were constantly in touch with the anti-national elements sitting abroad, who were guiding them about their further targets. "The accused had also planned to paste these posters at or near the sites of Independence Day programs and other prominent places including DC office Mohali and some other government buildings in Chandigarh, Kasauli and Solan," he said. Meanwhile, FIR no. 148 Dated 15-07-2022 had been registered under section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 3 of the Prevention of Defacement of Property Act at Police Station Kotwali. (ANI) A Delhi Court on Tuesday ordered the release of Sushil and Gopal Ansal and other 2 convicts against the jail term already undergone by them in a case of evidence tampering with the case related to the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire. After hearing the judgement, the victim of the Uphaar tragedy and complainant Nilam Krishnamoorthy called the judgement 'disappointing and biased'. The convicted had challenged the conviction and sentence of seven years and a fine, in this case, awarded by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court last year. The 4 appeals were dismissed yesterday and the appeal filed by Anoop Singh was allowed, he was acquitted. The case was fixed for argument on the quantum of sentence. District and Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma deliver the verdict after hearing the submission on the quantum of sentence. The judge said, "In the Uphar tragedy 59 lives were lost, families of victims suffered a lot but they cannot come. The accused in the case suffered during the trial. Considering the age of convicts and other conditions, we deem it fit to release them on the period already undergone in jail." The judge stated that the court is granting relief to them in terms of the sentence and not the fine. The fine imposed on them would be realised and be paid to the families of the victims. Senior advocate N Hariharan had argued for Sushil and Gopal Ansal. He had submitted that considering the age and medical condition the appellant should be released on the period already undergone. They have spent almost nine months in custody in this case. The counsel of the other accused also took the same plea and submitted that have already suffered during the trial for almost a decade. They should be released against the period undergone by them in the custody. Senior advocate Hariharan submitted that in the main Uphaar case, SC had considered the advanced stage and age of Sushil Ansal. The period was undergone and was directed to pay the fine. His age is in an advanced stage and his medical condition is deteriorating further. Now around 82. 20 years have gone by since the time of the incident. The process itself is a punishment. He also submitted that Gopal Ansal is 74 years of age and has various ailments like Diabetes and hypertension, Renal disorder, and Liver damage. He was infected with COVID-19 and lung capacity has been affected. On the other hand, senior public prosecutor AT Ansari opposed the submission. He argued that sentences should not be decreased as this matter is different from other cases. He also submitted that it is a case of tampering with evidence caused by the appellant. They delayed the trial of the case. It shows their conduct. They don't deserve to be released on the period undergone in the custody. They are a threat to the criminal justice delivery system, they don't deserve any leniency. As many as 59 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in the Uphaar fire tragedy case. Sentencing is the discretion of the court but parameters are there and certain facts should be taken into consideration. This is not an ordinary case of evidence tampering, Ansari argued. He submitted, "Your owner is victim, I am a victim and learned friend are victim." The purpose of sentencing is to send a message to society. This message should not go out that they are big people and can do anything. This perception should be broken. He argued that when they committed the crime, they were 63, and they delayed the trial. "Now claiming they are old." Victim of Uphar tragedy and complainant Nilam Krishnamoorthy said that Gopal Ansal gave the wrong affidavit. They spoke lies, misleading the court. She said that she lost her children in this case. "Nobody is there to take care of us. Nobody is there to cremate us after we die. Why victims are forgotten. I spent 25 years in court, I spent my youth." "They used to smile at me. My youngest one was 30 days who lost her life in the Uphaar fire. Whole family was wiped out. My daughter was 17 and my son was 13. Please do justice. The sentence should not be reduced," she added. Sushil Ansal submitted before the court that the Uphaar case was a tragedy and not his fault. (ANI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that, in the next five years, Assam will be one of the leading states in the country to use renewable sources of energy to steer the development of the state and mitigate the results of environmental pollution. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Assam government in the next five years is committed to taking the development of the state altogether to a new height by driving the state power generation towards non-conventional energy sources instead of conventional sources of energy," Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Of all the problems in the world, climate change is one of the major problems, the Assam Chief Minister said that in its bid to take the development of the state to a new height, the Assam government has taken a decision to strike a balance between development and its nature and therefore, steps have been taken to reap the benefits of renewable sources of energy. In an attempt to make Assam self-reliant on green energy, the Assam Chief Minister on Tuesday dedicated the 25 MW Solar Power Project at Lalpul in Udalguri district. Established on build, own, operate in short BOO under Assam Solar Energy Policy 2017, this project is expected to benefit around 65 thousand consumers in the Udalguri district. Stating that the recent spate of floods in the state has a lot to do with environmental degradation, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that, since a large number of people were affected by the flood, the state government has decided to rehabilitate and compensate the flood affected people within one month. "Already, the flood affected people taken shelter in different relief camps have started leaving the camps for their homes, as State government has already started crediting Rs 3800 to each of the flood affected families," the Assam Chief Minister said. Referring to the Prime Minister and his appeal to the nation, Dr Sarma requested all the residents to hoist the National Flag at their residences during 13 to 15 August as a part of 'Har Ghar Tiranga'. He also said that National Flags will be available at all fair price shops at subsidized rates. In view of the 75 years of India's Independence and the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav being celebrated on this occasion, the Chief Minister said that government has taken a decision to dig 75 'Amrit Sarovar' in each district of the state. He also said that from 10 October onwards, the cash incentive in Orunodoi scheme will be enhanced to Rs 1250 from the existing Rs 1000. He also appealed to the beneficiaries who are economically solvent to give up benefits of the Orunodoi scheme to make an inroad for the inclusion of more needy beneficiaries in the gamut of the scheme. Sarma said that in the HSLC examinations the students who secured first division will be given this time Rs 16,000 instead of a computer. He also said that besides the girls who secure first division in HSSLC examination, boys who pass the examination in first division with letter marks will be given scooty. The Assam Chief Minister said that in line with Mission Basundahra, BTR-Basundhara will be launched BTR areas to give land pattas to ensure land rights to the indigenous people living in the BTR areas. Speaking on the Minimum Support Price of paddy which is at present Rs 1960, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said that at the instance of the Prime Minister the MSP will be increased to Rs 2020 from the coming October. He also mentioned that the State government has been able to procure paddy to the tune of five lakh metric tonnes. For the convenience of the students receiving higher education, an Act has been passed in the State Assembly to start the Udalguri Campus of Bodoland University. Moreover, Rs 18 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of a bridge on Rowta-Udalguri road. Power Minister Nandita Gorlosa gave the welcome address in the programme which was also addressed by CEM BTC Promod Boro. Irrigation Minister Ashok Singhal, Deputy CEM Govinda Basumatary, MLA Charan Boro, Mujibur Rahman and a host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion. (ANI) Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brij Lal on Tuesday said that the Haryana government should "bulldoze" the illegal properties of the mafia in the state "in lines with the Uttar Pradesh model". Brij Lal, who is also the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, said that an attack on the uniform is an attack on the government. The remarks of the former cop came in the context of police officer Surendra Singh Bishnoi, who had gone to investigate a case of illegal mining in Nuh, died after being allegedly run over by a dumper driver. "It is an unfortunate incident. The mining mafia has committed a huge crime. They dared to run over the officer of the Deputy SP rank," Brij Lal told ANI. "An attack on the uniform is an attack on the government. The Haryana government should see it as an attack on the government. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has proved it. There was mafia who earned crores of rupees. CM Yogi used a bulldozer over properties worth Rs 3,000 crores of the mafia. The Haryana government should act on the mafia and hang them," he added. The former cop asked the government to take it as a challenge and said that they should attach the illegal properties of the accused. "The government should take it as a challenge. They should attach their illegal properties and should bulldoze them on the lines of the Uttar Pradesh model," he said. Meanwhile, one person was arrested after an encounter in connection with the killing of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Surendra Singh Bishnoi who was mowed down by a truck while investigating illegal mining in Nuh. According to Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij, who earlier today assured the arrest of "every single" accused in the incident, said that others will be arrested soon. "DGP Haryana reached the spot and is monitoring it. One person was arrested after an encounter. The search operation is underway. Others will be arrested soon. We're very serious as the attack has happened on our police and will spare none," Vij told ANI. "It can't be tolerated. As soon as I came to know, I told DGP that a reply to this incident will be given even if he has to use the Police of the entire district, nearby districts or reserve police. Every single one of them (accused) will be nabbed," Vij said earlier today. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of Surendra Singh Bishnoi and said the culprits will not be spared. He said strict action will be taken against the mining mafia in the state. "We will control the mining mafia in the state and the culprits will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against them," he said. Khattar said police posts will be created near mining areas and the destination of mining vehicles and their equipment will also be fixed. "Posts will also be set up at the inter-state borders," Khattar said. (ANI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Tuesday recognised Rahul Shewale as the floor leader of the party in the lower house. This came after 12 of the 19 Shiv Sena Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde, requested the Speaker for the change. Speaking to ANI Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Rahul Shewale said, "Many MPs were upset with the work of the internal group leader Vinayak Raut so we had written to the Speaker to change the group leader. The Speaker will take action on this. Our chief whip will be the same, there will be no change." Meanwhile, Bhavana Gawali has been retained as the Chief Whip. Vinayak Raut, gave a letter to the Speaker, asking him not to entertain any representation from the rival faction. Shinde said Shiv Sena MPs have supported his stand to uphold the ideals of party founder Balasaheb Thackeray. "Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has recognised Rahul Shewale as the Shiv Sena leader in the Lower House," he said. The 12 of Shiv Sena's 19 MPs have joined the Eknath-Shinde faction "in the interest of the people of Maharashtra," he added. The MPs are- Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Rahul Shewale, Bhavana Gawali, Hemant Godse, Rajendra Gavit, Sadashiv Lokhande, Hemant Patil, Sanjay Mandlik, Dhairyasheel Mane, Shrirang Barne, Krupal Tumane and Prataprao Jadhav. The political developments come shortly after a revolt by majority Sena MLAs against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership overthrowing the MVA government in Maharashtra and Eknath Shinde assuming the CM's office. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, with help from BJP, won the floor test in the state assembly. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said that the government formed with BJP is getting full support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Addressing a Press conference here in Delhi, Shinde said, "Some days back in Maharashtra, we established this government with BJP and we're getting full support from the people of the state. PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are giving us support. PM Modi has told us that he'll support all development projects in the state." Maharashtra Chief Minister arrived in Delhi on Monday to hold a discussion regarding Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations. This is Eknath Shinde's second visit to the national capital since taking oath of office on June 30. (ANI) Action would be initiated within the provisions of the Constitution after getting the report from the Backward Classes Commission on the demand of the Maratha Community for reservation, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said. The Chief Minister, in his address at a function to inaugurate the Maratha Communities Development Corporation and Orientation programme, said the state government is responsive to the demand of the community to include it under Category 2A instead of the present Category 3B. The state government is considering the proposal. Action would be initiated in this regard after getting the report from the Backward Classes Commission. The Chief Minister said that his government is committed to render social justice for various backward communities. The state government has decided to provide a grant of Rs10 crore to prepare a Detailed Project Report for the development of various heritage monuments of great Maratha personalities. The ideals of great saints like Ramdas, Tukaram and Eknath are eternally relevant, their identity would be preserved, Bommai said. The Maratha community has a significant presence along the state borders from Karwar to Bidar. Special programmes have been formulated for the development of these border areas. Budgetary provisions have been made for comprehensive development of Gram Panchayats in border areas, Bommai said, according to a press release. It said the Maratha community has joined Karnataka's mainstream. "The Maratha Development Corporation has drawn up many welfare programmes for the community from self-employment schemes to all-round development of women. The state government has provided Rs100 cr for these programmes," he said and assured greater allocation if the funds already provided are effectively utilised. The Chief Minister termed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as the evershining star of 5000 year Indian history. The credit of humbling the Mughal dynasty and establishing a strong Hindu empire goes to Shivaji Maharaj, so he enjoys a special place in Indian history, Bommai said. "The Maratha community has a great history. Prime Minister Modi is leading the country unitedly ahead when the nation is celebrating its 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. It is our duty to work together to realise PM Modi's mission of making India the world leader. Each community has to contribute in this regard. With this objective former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa established the Maratha Development Corporation," Bommai said. (ANI) After a suspected anti-national module of Popular Front of India (PFI) was busted in Patna's Phulwari Sharif area, the joint investigation of the NIA, the IB and the Bihar Police's ATS are throwing up new revelations every day. On Tuesday, the joint teams scanned the mobile phone CDR of Athar Parvez, one of the main accused in the Phulwari Sharif module, and detected the phone number and address of controversial, suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Sources have said that there might be a conspiracy to attack Nupur Sharma. According to the sources, Parvez and Arman Malik, who were interrogated, were misled the security officials initially. When the investigating team put the technical proofs before them, then they revealed some of the shocking facts. Sources have said that the PFI has strong routes in states like Kerala and instructors from there used to come to Bihar for the training of youths in PFI branches in Patna, Purnea, Motihari, Kishanganj and other places. Following the revelation of the accused, the joint team has expanded the area of investigation in the state. Meanwhile, the investigating team filed a plea in the court to take remand of Margoob alias Tahir who is accused of running a Whatsapp and Facebook group called "Ghazwa-e-Hind" and was in contact with youths of Pakistan and Bangladesh. According to an official of Bihar ATS, Margoob was in contact with Pakistani national Faizan, and used to talk to him in code words every day. The team is trying to decode the conversation. The joint team is also searching for his female friend Alisa. The joint team had busted the PFI module of Phulwari Sharif last week and registered FIR against 26 persons. They have managed to arrest 8 of them including Parvez, Mohammad Jalaluddin, Arman Malik, Margoob alias Tahir, Nuruddin Jungi, Shabbir Malik, Shamim Akhtar, and Tahir Ahmed. During the raid on the Social democratic Party of India (SDPI), the joint team had recovered the posters of social activist Teesta Setalvad, journalist Mohammad Zubair and former cop R.B. Sreekumar. --IANS ajk/vd ( 354 Words) 2022-07-19-19:08:02 (IANS) The Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved the proposal for the allocation of land to the Central Government. "The state government has decided to provide government land measuring 9.685 acres in Mouza Khordha under Khordha Tahasil of Khordha District to Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for construction of Paika Memorial in the memory of Paika Rebellion at the foothills of Barunei Hill," a press statement from Revenue and Disaster Management Department on the Cabinet Decision said. The battleground of Paika Bidroha with free of premium, capitalised value and incidental charges," the release said. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has welcomed the decision of the State Cabinet. Taking Twitter, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan thanked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the decision and wrote "The Memorial will be seen as a symbol of Odisha's valour and will serve as a source of inspiration for future generations." (ANI) A leading textbooks printer of Gujarat lost over Rs 26 crore in a cyber fraud when the fraudster approached him with the promise to get the tender of the Tamil Nadu Textbooks Corporation for printing textbooks. In a phased manner, the conman took away Rs 26 crore in the name of advances and payment. This is the biggest cyber crime case of the state. According to the sources at the Ahmedabad Cyber Cell police station, Gala Print City Limited's managing director was approached by a person who promised him to get the textbooks printing order from the Tamil Nadu Textbooks Corporation for which the company was asked to pay 15 to 20 percent of the total order to the fraudster as his commission. Gala's managing director in a phased manner transferred Rs 26.78 crore into the accounts of the fraudster, who later vanished and stopped taking the calls of Gala's MD, said sources. They added that suspecting something wrong, Gala's office inquired from the Tamil Nadu Textbooks and Educational Services Corporation about the tender. To the MD's shock, the corporation denied floating or awarding any such printing order to his company. On Tuesday morning the Managing Director lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crime Cell police station, said Amit Vasava, Deputy Commissioner of the Cyber Crime Cell. The officer refused to divulge more details about the case calling it a very sensitive matter. --IANS haresh/bg ( 249 Words) 2022-07-19-19:34:04 (IANS) BJP's Telangana unit President Bandi Sanjay Kumar stated this on Tuesday after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. He, along with party's General Secretary incharge of party affairs in Telangana, Tarun Chug, called on Amit Shah and urged him to send a central team to the state. Bandi Sanjay briefed the Home Minister on the devastation caused by the heavy rains and floods in Godavari river. Sanjay, who is also a Member of Parliament, said Amit Shah directed officials concerned to send a team to Telangana to assess the damages caused by the floods and submit a report. He thanked Shah for patiently hearing them on the damage caused to fields, houses, people and projects and expressing deep concern about the destruction caused by the natural calamity. Meanwhile, the state BJP chief also thanked Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari for sanctioning Rs 130.65 crore for construction of a flyover near BHEL junction on Pune-Hyderabad section of National Highway-65. Sanjay tweeted that it is one of the many flyovers sanctioned by the Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated that some TRS leaders are blind to reality and can't see flyovers. --IANS ms/vd ( 238 Words) 2022-07-19-19:34:05 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday refused an interim stay on an earlier order of its single-judge bench for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the recruitment irregularities of primary teachers by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE). The earlier order by a single-judge bench of Justice Avijit Bandopadhyay for CBI enquiry was challenged before a division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Lapita Bandopadhyay by the WBBPE, and the hearing concluded on Tuesday. The bench, which has reserved its order, clearly said that they are not putting any interim stay in the probe process. On Tuesday only, the CBI team submitted its preliminary probe report in a sealed envelope to the court. On Tuesday, the WBBPE counsel, Lakshmi Gupta refrained from making any verbal argument in the matter before the division bench. He said that he will file his written submission in a notice form shortly. Incidentally, the division bench has already asked all parties in the case to make their written submission in notice form by 4.30 p.m. on July 22, after which no further written submission will be entertained. Thereafter the division bench reserved its judgement, while refusing to allow an interim stay in the probe process. Petitions were filed at the Calcutta High Court alleging irregularities in recruitments of primary teachers by the WBBPE in 2014, where it was also alleged that several recruitments were made against financial considerations. Justice Gangopadhyay, besides ordering a CBI enquiry in the matter, also ordered termination of service of those recruited flouting norms. He also removed Trinamool Congress legislator, Manik Bhattacharya from the chair of WBPPE President. All these orders by Justice Gangopadhyay were challenged at the division bench by the WBPEE, the hearing for which was completed on Tuesday. The division bench reserved its order in other matters relating to the case but allowed the CBI to continue with its probe process. --IANS src/vd ( 338 Words) 2022-07-19-19:40:02 (IANS) The Delhi Police said on Tuesday that they have arrested two snatchers who got inspired to step into the world of crime after being inspired by south Indian movies. The accused have been identified as Farhat (23) and Vivek (19). So far, the police have not found any previous criminal record of the accused duo. According to North District DCP Sagar Singh Kalsi, the complainant, who works as a cashier in a travel agency, said that he was speaking on phone outside his office in the Tis Hazari area on Monday afternoon when two bike-borne youth came and the pillion rider snatched his cellphone before escaping from the spot. After the victim raised an alarm, two policemen patrolling the area succeeded in intercepting the motorcycle and apprehended the suspects after a brief chase. During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused persons were school dropouts and drug addicts. They commited the crime to earn some quick bucksmoney. The accused duo also told the police that they got inspired after watching a few south Indian movies, the officer added. --IANS uj/arm ( 197 Words) 2022-07-19-19:54:03 (IANS) After Defence Minister Rajnath Singh clarified that the 'Agniveer' recruitment process is the same as it was before independence, the BJP blamed the opposition parties for malicious allegations and misinformation campaigns to defame the Indian army. Hitting out at the opposition, the BJP said the Narendra Modi government has changed nothing. Former union minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said that opposition parties are defaming the Indian army via malicious allegations and a misinformation campaign. "Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has clarified that the 'Agniveer' recruitment process is the same as it was since pre-independence. Opposition parties are defaming the Indian army via malicious allegations and misinformation campaigns. Their bankrupt politics is exposed yet again," Javadekar said. Rejecting the opposition allegations that caste certificates are being asked from aspirants who want to join the Army through the new 'Agnipath' scheme, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the practice has been in existence since before independence and no change has been made in the registration criteria. Earlier in the day, AAP's Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Singh posted on social media that the union government was asking for caste and religious certificates to register for the Agnipath scheme. Reacting to Singh's social media post, BJP Lok Sabha Member from North East Delhi Manoj Tiwari asked, "Is it compulsory to be dumb to be in AAP? There is so much hatred for Modi that these opponents are misleading the country by tweeting false news. When are you apologizing for writing 'for first time in the history of India'," Tiwari said. Quoting the AAP leader's tweet, national in-charge of the BJP Information and Technology Department Amit Malviya said, "The Army, in an affidavit filed before the SC in 2013, has made it clear that it does not recruit on the basis of caste, region and religion. It however justified grouping of people coming from a region in a regiment for administrative convenience and operational requirements." "This obsession to blame PM Modi for everything means the likes of Sanjay Singh put their foot in their mouth every day. The Army's regiment system has existed right from the British era. Post independence, it was formalised in 1949, through a Special Army Order. Modi Govt has changed nothing," Malviya added. --IANS ssb/bg ( 388 Words) 2022-07-19-20:08:01 (IANS) The REA, in the past, had demonstrated against Chinese encroachment on Nepali territory, and China's overt interference in Nepali politics in Kathmandu, and several other cities. A delegation led by REA Central President Binay Yadav has handed over the memo to Minister Shrestha, here on Tuesday. The REA also drew Shrestha's attention to the latest incursion of China whereby the Chinese side has erected a fence at the Ruila border of Chumanubri Rural Municipality-1 in Gorkha without coordinating with the Nepali side. Nepal and China have some boundary related issues in Humla, Gorkha, Shankhuwashaba districts. In order to resolve the boundary related disputes and differences with China, the Nepal government had last week proposed to activate existing boundary related mechanisms whose official decision has not met yet. "The encroachment in various areas of the Nepal-China border, including Ruila, in violation of international law and values, is not only an insult to the friendship between the two countries, but also a direct challenge to the sovereignty of Nepal," REA president Yadav said in the memorandum. Similarly, Yadav added that repeated attacks on Nepal's territorial integrity by China in face of Nepal's condemnation has not deterred the Chinese sides to undertake its illegal motives. He also lauded the steps taken against the encroachments on the Nepal-China border as the current government came to power. "However, despite the diplomatic efforts made by the government, border encroachment continues." The memorandum reads: "We expect decisive and strict action by this government against border encroachment, the Ekata Abhiyan continues to fully support and cooperate with the government in its every step." --IANS giri/pgh ( 312 Words) 2022-07-19-20:18:02 (IANS) A Delhi Court on Tuesday sentenced the real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal for the period already undergone by them in custody in the tampering of evidence case and ordered their release from jail. The court increased the fine amount imposed on them. The Court has imposed a fine of Rs 3 crore on each of them in three sections related to conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and destruction of evidence. Earlier, the lower court had imposed a fine of Rs 2.25 crore each on them. District and Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma observed, "I am unable to persuade myself to sustain the impugned order on the sentence of November 8, 2021, passed by the learned trial court, and its terms of section 386 (b)(iii) of the Cr.P.C., retaining the imposition of fine awarded by the learned trial court except for diluting the same for the appellants Dinesh Chandra Sharma and PP Batra." "At the cost of repetition, this Court understands that the Uphaar fire tragedy was one where several lives were lost and many were injured that must have caused a deep anguish, pain and perennial misery to the affected family members and it is to comprehend that family members would be able to forget such incident and forgive the offenders", the court observed in the order. It was observed, "It strikes to human notions and understanding that the surviving family members who have now joined together by forming an association 'AVUT' do not want the culprits to go scot-free and enjoy many rights and liberties in the remainder of their lives but this whole criminal litigation cannot be converted by the prosecution into an inhuman and vindictive approach to the present appellants/convicts." The Court sentenced Sushil and Gopal Ansal for the period already undergone and imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore under section 120B (conspiracy), one crore under section 409 (criminal breach of trust) and one crore under section 201 (destruction of evidence) of IPC. The amount of fine is to be paid within seven days from today, failing which the same shall be recoverable as per arrears of land revenue under section 421 Cr. P. C. The court sentenced the convict PP Batra for the period already undergone during custody. The court fined him Rs 10,000 for conspiracy, Rs 10,000 for criminal breach of trust and Rs 10,000 for the offence of destruction of evidence. The court also sentenced Dinesh Chandra Sharma for the period already undergone during custody in jail. The court fined him Rs 25,000 for the offence of conspiracy, Rs 25,000 for the offence of criminal breach of trust and lastly Rs 10,000 for the offence of destruction of evidence. The amount of fine is to be paid within seven days, failing which the same shall be recoverable as per arrears of land revenue under section 421 Cr. P. C. The fine so realized from the appellants be paid as compensation to the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy after defraying the cost of litigation payable to the State. (ANI) The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday extended the deadline for the West Bengal government to submit a list of people in the state who are entitled to use red beacons on their vehicles. The state was supposed to submit the list to the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj on Tuesday only, but was unable and and the division bench gave a fresh deadline of August 1. The issue of misuse of red beacons was brought to the court's notice early this year, after Trinamool Congress strongman and the party's Birbhum district President, Anubrata Mandal was seen sporting a red beacon on his vehicles. BJP leader and advocate, Tarunjyoti Tiwari filed a petition questioning whether the district President of any party who does not hold any government post can really use a red beacon on his vehicle. Thereafter, the court asked the state government to submit a list of those people who are entitled to use red beacons on their vehicles. Meanwhile, Mandal's counsel has informed the court that his client has stopped using red beacons. Misuse of red beacons had been a headache for police for the last couple of years after several imposters, bogus bureaucrats and fake police officers were arrested after they duped common people by using red beacons on their vehicles. Two types of red beacons are approved by the state government to be used on the vehicles for select persons. The first category is "red beacon with flashers" and the second is "red beacon without flashers". However, both the categories are reserved for only those holding important government posts. --IANS src/vd ( 288 Words) 2022-07-19-20:38:03 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a Prevention of Money Laundering case in connection with Bihar's Phulwari Sharif case where Popular Front of India's (PFI) members were found with highly objectionable material, indicating to make India an Islamic state by 2047. The ED took the documents from the Bihar police. The central agency will probe the funding of PFI. The Bihar police had found that the PFI members had links with banned organisation SIMI. The Bihar police has so far arrested five persons in this connection and has identified around 26 suspects in the case. The police probe indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on their radar. The Patna police had arrested Athar Parvez and Mohammed Jalaluddin from Phulwari Sharif area. At their instance three more accused identified as Margoob Danish, Arman Malil and Shabbir were arrested. They were allegedly running a terror module and were brainwashing Muslim youth. Parvez is said to be a member of SIMI and had been providing training to youths. Manjar Alam, the brother of Parvez, had been arrested in connection with Patna's Gandhi Maidan bomb blast that took place in 2013 during Modi's Hunkar Rally. Alam was also involved in the Bodh Gaya blast. He is currently in judicial custody. Mohammed Jalaluddin is also said to be a member of SIMI. The police has claimed that they had tried to execute a terror strike during the rally. The police has recovered documents from Jalaluddin and Parvez in which it has been written that they will make India an Islamic state by 2047. On the pretext of providing physical training to youths, they were brainwashing them in Patna. They were allegedly provoking Muslim youths against Hindus. Meanwhile, the PFI has said that it has never published any objectionable documents and things were being planted. --IANS atk/bg ( 320 Words) 2022-07-19-20:50:03 (IANS) In a setback to the Congress in Gujarat, more than 500 workers of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the party, are likely to join the BJP. The Congress had recently appointed Narendrasinh Solanki as the President of the state unit of NSUI. However, the NSUI workers and senior members of the organisation seem to be unhappy with his leadership. "Narendrasinh is not much experienced and has lesser knowledge as to how the party functions," they said. Former NSUI general secretary Parth Desai told IANS, "There are many deserving NSUI workers who have been actively working for the Congress for a long time now. They have even gone to jail for the party. But the party appointed Narendrasinh as NSUI chief ignoring all other senior workers, which is nothing but a result of groupism. "We tried to convey our disappointment to the senior leaders, including Jagdish Thakor, but no one listened to us. So I have resigned from the NSUI along with more than 300 members. Many NSUI leaders from north Gujarat, Surat and Rajkot are also going to resign soon. We all will be joining the BJP." --IANS asmita/uk ( 208 Words) 2022-07-19-21:06:03 (IANS) The Kutch police picked up one suspect on Tuesday in connection with vandalising a Shivaling. The incident was reported by the priest of Trimbakeshwar Mahadev Temple in Bhutakiya village in Rapar taluka of Kutch district. Priest Ishwarpuri Goswami in his complaint told the Adesar police that the incident occurred between Monday 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday. The police registered a case of defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class, said an Adesar police station officer. The official said a person was picked up on suspicion. The officer refused to divulge the name of the suspect and added that till his involvement was confirmed and he was formally arrested, the police can't disclose his identity. The case is being investigated by Sub-Inspector G G Jadeja. Temple priest Goswami in his complaint has stated that he last performed a puja on Monday evening at 7 p.m. after which he locked the temple and went home. Early on Tuesday morning his son Sanjaypuri reached the temple for morning puja, when he found the main door of the temple open and the broken Shivaling lying outside the temple. Sanjaypuri called up a neighbour Bhikhabhai and informed him about the incident, after which the elders of the village were called and shown the vandalised Shivaling. --IANS haresh/bg ( 234 Words) 2022-07-19-21:08:04 (IANS) An all-party meeting, called by the government on Tuesday on the Sri Lanka crisis, saw protests by members of opposition parties over the economic conditions of Indian states being discussed. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that Sri Lanka is in a serious crisis but dismissed suggestions that India could have a similar crisis. He said that the big lessons of Sri Lanka is to be drawn on fiscal prudence and good governance, and "fortunately in this country, under the leadership of the PM we have both in very ample measures". However, as the presentation by Finance Ministry officials had apprehensions that freebies could damage economic condition of the states, the opposition objected to economic condition of the states being brought up. After the meeting, Jaishankar said: "It was government's initiative as to tell the leader about the situation of the states.. total 46 parties we're invited, 28 attended the meeting... 8 ministers were from government. Why we called this meeting is because... we wanted to all parties, all leaders of the country to appreciate... there is a very serious crisis in Sri Lanka... tje situation is in Sri Lanka is very unprecedented and facing a financial and political crisis." He clarified that there was "no political intent" but the officials presented economic situation of all the states. However, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, who attended the meeting, said: "It was improper to call meeting on Sri Lanka and give presentation on states." From the government side, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi was present while P Chidambaram and Manickam Tagore of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar, DMK's T.R. Baalu and M.M. Abdulla were among those present. --IANS miz/vd ( 296 Words) 2022-07-19-21:34:02 (IANS) A group of researchers have come out with the first-of-its-kind comprehensive global dataset of the Earth's lakes and reservoirs which demonstrates how they have changed over the past 30+ years. The study highlighting the Reservoir and Lake Surface Area Timeseries (ReaLSAT) dataset was recently published in Scientific Data, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by Nature. The research was conducted by data scientists from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with funding from NASA and the U.S. National Science Foundation. The data will provide environmental researchers with new information about land and fresh water use as well as how lakes and reservoirs are being impacted by humans and climate change. The research is also a major advancement in machine learning techniques. A paper highlighting the Reservoir and Lake Surface Area Timeseries (ReaLSAT) dataset was recently published in Scientific Data, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by Nature. Highlights of the study include: The ReaLSAT dataset contains the location and surface area variations of 681,137 lakes and reservoirs larger than 0.1 square kilometers (south of 50 degrees north latitude). The previous most comprehensive database, called HydroLAKES, had identified only 245,420 lakes and reservoirs for the part of the world and minimum size being considered in this study. ReaLSAT provides data on the surface area of each body of water for each month from 1984 to 2015. This makes it possible to quantify changes in lake and reservoir area over time, which is key to understanding how changing climate and land use are altering bodies of fresh water. The HydroLAKES data contains only a static shape for each water body. The ReaLSAT dataset is the culmination of eight years of research. It represents a major milestone in the application of new knowledge-guided machine learning for use in the environmental sciences. Unlike other existing efforts, this dataset can now be extended nearly automatically via machine learning and can be quickly replicated for a wide variety of earth observation data that are becoming available at increasingly better resolution. "Around the world, we are seeing lakes and reservoirs changing rapidly with seasonal precipitation patterns, long-term changes in climate, and human management decisions," said Vipin Kumar, the senior author of the study and Regents Professor and William Norris Endowed Chair in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Department of Computer Science and Engineering. "This new dataset greatly improves the ability of scientists to understand the impact of changing climate and human actions on our fresh water across the globe." Building a global dataset of lakes and reservoirs and how they are changing required a new type of machine learning algorithms that meld knowledge of the physical dynamics of water bodies with satellite imagery. "ReaLSAT is a shining example where environmental challenges motivated a new class of knowledge-guided machine learning algorithms that are now being used in numerous scientific applications," Kumar said. Scientists who study the environment agree that ReaLSAT will improve their work. "The availability and quality of surface fresh water is central to sustainable use of our planet," said Paul C. Hanson, a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology and a co-author of the study. "Because ReaLSAT shows changes in lakes and their boundaries, rather than just water pixels across the landscape, we can now connect ecosystem process about water quality with hundreds of thousands of lakes around the world." (ANI) Google on Tuesday said it will reduce the Play Store service fee for non-gaming app developers in the European Union by 3 per cent 12 per cent from the current 15 per cent -- if they use rival payment systems. Google said it will not remove, or reject updates of, non-gaming apps from participating developers for offering alternative billing systems for the European users. "We expect to expand billing alternatives to developers of gaming apps for their users in the European Economic Area (EEA), in advance of the Digital Markets Act's (DMA) effective date," said Estelle Werth, Director, EU Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google. This means that developers of non-gaming apps can offer their users in Europe an alternative to Google Play's billing system when they are paying for digital content and services. The Digital Markets Act will require Google Play and other industry players to adjust their current operating model for users in the EEA. Google said that since 99 per cent of developers currently qualify for a service fee of 15 per cent or less, "those developers would pay a service fee of 12 per cent or lower based on transactions through alternative billing for EEA users acquired through the Play platform". Google Play's billing system will continue to be required for apps and games distributed via Play to users outside the EEA, and for games distributed to users within the EEA. "Although the DMA does not take effect for some time, we are launching this programme now to allow us to work closely with our developer partners and ensure our compliance plans serve the needs of our shared users and the broader ecosystem, Google said. In India, Google has decided to defer the implementation of its app payment policies to October for developers. Both Google and Apple charge either 15 or 30 per cent commission on purchase of paid apps and in-app purchases (IAPs) in the country. "We remain committed to recognising and solving for the unique needs of the ecosystem in India," Google had maintained. Today, around 3 per cent of developers are subject to a service fee and 99 per cent of developers qualify for a service fee of 15 per cent or less. --IANS na/ ( 388 Words) 2022-07-19-19:08:03 (IANS) Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande called on General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Bangladesh Army on Monday and discussed ways to enhance and strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries. "General Manoj Pande #COAS called on General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, COAS #BangladeshArmy and discussed ways to enhance & strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries," the Indian Army tweeted. The Indian Army chief, who arrived in Bangladesh on Sunday, received a Guard of Honour at a convention centre of the Armed Forces in Dhaka on Monday. "General Manoj Pande COAS received an impressive Guard of Honour at Senakunja Bangladesh. He also planted a tree to commemorate the friendship between the two Armies," Indian Army tweeted. "General Manoj Pande COAS laid a wreath at ShikhaAnirban and paid tributes to the #Bravehearts who laid down their lives for the Liberation of Bangladesh," it said in another tweet. The Indian Army Chief, who is on a four-day visit to Bangladesh, was accompanied by his spouse Archana Pande and a three-member delegation on this trip, according to the statement released by Indian Embassy in Dhaka. During this visit, the Indian Army Chief is scheduled to pay courtesy calls to the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina and her Security Affairs Advisor. He will also pay courtesy calls to service Chiefs of the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, and PSO Armed Forces Division of Bangladesh and will meet other senior officers of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. "The Indian Army Chief will visit Defence Service Command & Staff College Mirpur and will share his experience with student officers and faculty of the Armed Forces War Course. The General officer will also visit Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training. The visit of the Indian Army Chief will further strengthen the close and fraternal ties existing between the Armed Forces of the two countries," the statement reads. India and Bangladesh enjoy robust and multifaceted bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and connectivity, energy and power, water resources, border management, defence and security, culture and people-to-people links. As part of the Swarnim Vijay Varsh, both countries celebrated Maitri Diwas on 6 December 2021 in India and Bangladesh. Maitri Diwas was also commemorated in 18 countries - Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Qatar, Singapore, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. The India-Bangladesh relationship is an important element of India's "Neighbourhood First" policy. The year 2021 was of special significance as both countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations, five decades of Bangladesh's independence and the birth centenary of its Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The cooperation between the two countries is also to be seen in combating the Covid pandemic. India gifted 3.3 million Covishield vaccines to Bangladesh to assist in its ongoing effort to fight the pandemic. This was the largest tranche of Made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines gifted to any country by India. (ANI) Taliban on Monday issued a new diktat against female employees and told them to send male relatives as their replacements. The announcement came a year after female employees working in the public sector were banned from government jobs and told to stay at home, reported Geo News. Several women said that they received the same calls from Taliban officials. "I was asked to introduce a male family member to replace me, so I could be dismissed from the job," says a woman. Maryam, who worked at the Afghan ministry of finance for more than 15 years, said, "I was asked to introduce a male family member to replace me at the ministry, so I could be dismissed from the job." "Since they came [to power], the Taliban have demoted me and reduced my salary from 60,000 Afghanis (Pound 575) to AFN 12,000. I cannot even afford my son's school fees. When I questioned this, an official rudely told me to get out of his office and said that my demotion was not negotiable," she said. It is pertinent to note that the restrictions on women's employment resulted in an immediate economic loss of up to USD 1 billion, reported Geo News. "Current restrictions on women's employment have been estimated to result in an immediate economic loss of up to USD 1 billion - or up to 5 per cent of Afghanistan's GDP," said Executive Director of United Nations Women Sima Bahous. Afghan women have been protesting against the Taliban for the violations of their rights and the removal of women from government institutions since they took over Afghanistan last August. Despite Taliban officials stating repeatedly that they will decide whether or not women will continue to work in government institutions, their fate is still unclear. Afghan women have been unable to work for 10 months and are facing a wide range of problems. Most female workers in government institutions have been denied access to work since the Taliban assumed control of the country last August, and a number of them have been fired. The atrocities of the Taliban against Afghan women have been on an incessant surge since the organization seized power in Afghanistan in August last year, banning young girls and women of humanitarian rights. (ANI) With this development, Britain has avoided a general election in the country. Members of the UK parliament voted in favour of the government by 349 votes to 238 in the House of Commons on Monday (local time). Monday night debate on the vote of no-confidence was broadcast on the British parliament's website, Sputnik News Agency reported. Johnson called the vote of no confidence himself, after the opposition Labour Party requested a vote of no confidence in the government and Johnson himself. As per Sputnik news, the Prime Minister's office rejected this request, saying that Labour was "playing politics," and claiming their motion was not "a valuable use of parliamentary time" because Johnson was already resigning. Meanwhile, Indian-origin former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak won the most support in the third round of voting to find a replacement for Prime Miniter Boris Johnson. Lawmaker Tom Tugendhat stands eliminated. According to the Conservative Party backbench 1922 Committee, the four survivors are former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (115 votes), International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (82 votes), Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (71 votes), and former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch (58 votes), Xinhua News Agency reported. Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as prime minister in 2019 and announced on July 7 that he was stepping down as prime minister and leader of the UK Conservative Party, reported Sputnik. (ANI) New York City [US], July 19 (ANI/Xinhua): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday described Nelson Mandela as a "moral compass," calling for honouring the former South African president's legacy by taking action. "Nelson Mandela was a healer of communities and a mentor to generations," Guterres said in his message to mark the Nelson Mandela International Day which falls on Monday. "He remains a moral compass and reference to us all," the UN chief noted, adding that Mandela showed that "each and every one of us has the ability and responsibility to build a better future for all." "Our world today is marred by war; overwhelmed by emergencies; blighted by racism, discrimination, poverty, and inequalities; and threatened by climate disaster. Let us find hope in Nelson Mandela's example and inspiration in his vision," Guterres said. The best way to honor Mandela's legacy is by taking action, the UN chief said. "By speaking out against hate and standing up for human rights. By embracing our common humanity -- rich in diversity, equal in dignity, united in solidarity. And by together making our world more just, compassionate, prosperous, and sustainable for all," he said. Under the theme of taking action and inspiring change, Nelson Mandela International Day was celebrated through an informal meeting of the General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday. At the special event, UN officials, representatives of member states, among others, delivered remarks in memory of Nelson Mandela, stressing the relevance of his legacy to the present time. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that Mandela has been an inspiration for her ever since she was a young person trying to find her path. "I have taken to heart his profound lesson that we all have the ability -- and responsibility -- to take action," she said. The best tribute to Mandela is to realize the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals, "to stand united against hate, and to work for peace, prosperity, and human rights for all, on Mandela Day and every day," she said. In his remark, Abdulla Shahid, president of the UN General Assembly, underscored that Mandela's fight against apartheid was in fact a fight for a better world, in which the freedom, justice and dignity of all were respected. Citing multiple challenges including conflict, global pandemic and global food security crisis at the very moment, he said that it's not the time for despair. "No matter the challenges and obstacles, we must persevere with conviction, with determination, and with hope," Shahid said, noting that this is what Mandela would have wanted and fought for. In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared July 18, Mandela's birthday, as Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of the former South African president's contributions to peace and freedom. (ANI/Xinhua) Dubey said that New Delhi is running the world's largest food-based safety net programme, which has seen a paradigm shift from welfare to a rights-based approach. "To achieve targeted delivery during COVID-19, food assistance to 800 million people and cash transfers to 400 million people were provided by the Government," she added. India's mid-day meal programme continues to tackle undernourishment in school children by ensuring the provision of healthy meals. "A nutrition drive has also been launched, especially for vulnerable groups including women and children. Our Farm-to-Table digital initiatives include Farmer's Portals, farm-advisory services, online network of agricultural commodities, price prediction and use of blockchain technology for quality certification," First Secretary said in a statement. In view of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, India is donating 50,000 Metric tonnes of wheat to the people of Afghanistan. "India has continued its humanitarian support for Myanmar, including a grant of 10,000 tons of rice and wheat. We are also assisting Sri Lanka including with food assistance, during these difficult times," Dubey noted. India has exported more than 250,000 tons of wheat to Yemen, in the last three months. She also said that India remained strongly committed to the cause of global food security and also has contributed to UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the UNOCHA in response to various humanitarian crises over the years. "Our spearheading of the UN General Assembly Resolution for declaring Year- 2023 as the "International Year of Millets" was aimed at addressing similar such food security challenges," she said. (ANI) Vice President of South Sudan, James Wani Igga, arrived in India on Tuesday to participate in the two-day CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the visit of the South Sudan Vice President will also deepen the bilateral ties between India and South Sudan. In a tweet, Bagchi wrote, "Warm welcome to Vice President James Wani Igga of South Sudan on his arrival in India for participating in the CII-EXIM Bank Conclave. Another step towards deepening the bilateral partnership between India and South Sudan." Notably, the CII- EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership is scheduled to take place between July 19-20 where both the countries, India and Africa will have the session on different topics under themes like "Building Financing Partnerships", "SERV Africa - Higher Education and Skill Development Partnership with Africa", Strengthening Value Chains in Agriculture & Food Processing Sector and many more. The event was launched in the year 2005 with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Government of India, according to CII-EXIM Africa Conclave's official website. It said that the level of economic engagement between India and Africa has grown multi-dimensional and to reflect the changing contours of this dynamic relationship, the Conclave is being rechristened as "CII EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Growth Partnership" expanding the earlier focus on "Project Partnership". Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and President of Confederation of Indian Industry Sanjiv Bajaj will also be present at the meeting. In the last sixteen editions, the Conclave has played a pivotal role in encouraging Indian companies to establish and grow their footprints in Africa. The upcoming edition will focus on project exports, trade, investments, and exchange of knowledge and expertise creating shared value for business and industry at large between India and Africa. The two-day event will take place at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi. (ANI) As the world is urging Myanmar to implement the peace process outlined by ASEAN, China is busy playing a spoiler in the democratic, and peace process in the Southeast Asian country. Keeping its own strategic interests in mind and the influence it wants to have in the region, Beijing is taking "advantage of Myanmar's current global adversities" and pushing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) initiative in the country. This message from China was clearly echoed in foreign minister Wang Yi's recent visit to Myanmar. It was expected that Beijing would encourage Yangon to return to the old days by sincerely implementing the peace process outlined by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). However, Wang Yi's bilateral with Myanmar's Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin went on to tell a different tale. During the meeting that was held on the margin of a regional meeting, the Chinese Foreign Minister praised the "pauk-phaw" friendship and highlighted the four pillars of China-Myanmar relations. Contrary to the expectations, Wang Yi made no reference to the democratic aspirations of the Myanmarese people. And was silent on the brutality of the military regime against its own people. Writing for the Policy Research Group (POREG), Magda Lipan contended that Beijing is taking "advantage of Myanmar's current global adversities" to push ahead with its agenda. "Keeping the Junta in Naypyidaw in good humour matters. Not the aspirations and well-being of the people of Myanmar, particularly the youth who are baring their chest to the police brutalities," Lipan said. The independent think tank highlighted that this turn of events shows that the Myanmar Military Junta is amenable to Chinese ways. It adds that China is known to have played spoiler in democratic and peace processes in several countries for gaining strategic outreach and control. Rights groups say that the overall human rights situation in Myanmar deteriorated after the Myanmar military staged a coup on February 1, 2021. Since the military's takeover, a nationwide crackdown on millions of people protesting its rule has invited rebuke from several UN agencies, which say military operations in the country resulted in numerous war crimes. Earlier this month, veteran journalist and regional expert Bertil Lintner said China wants instability in Myanmar and wishes to remain a major controlling player in the politics of the Southeast Asian country. He told ANI that China is certainly playing a role in Myanmar, but he wouldn't call it 'constructive'. He argues that the Chinese feel comfortable with having the military in power, but they are also playing games at different levels. "China is certainly playing a role in Myanmar, but I wouldn't call it constructive....the Chinese feel comfortable with having the military in power, but they are also playing games on different levels, for instance by supporting the United Wa State Army which, in turn, sends Chinese-made weapons to Kokang, Shan and Palaung rebel armies," he said. "It's often argued that the Chinese are interested in stability and abhor chaos. It may be true that they don't want chaos, but a certain degree of instability, and then instability which they control, serve their long-term interests: to be a major, controlling player in Myanmar politics," he added. (ANI) After former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the Punjab bypolls, PML-N leader and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that early elections are on the cards however the decision will only be finalized post discussion with the coalition parties. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sanaullah made these remarks at a press conference in Lahore. "The decision will be made after we present the matter before the parties," said the interior minister. Sanaullah also responded on the landslide victory that Imran Khan's party secured and said that PML-N was "moving forward by accepting the results," reported Dawn. It was a massive win for PTI in the by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats. PTI candidates secured victory in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, and Khushab provincial assembly seats while the party took the lead by a clear majority in 15 constituencies of the province. "The 20 seats do not challenge or measure the PML-N's popularity as the candidates who were electioneering for these constituencies were not ours," the Interior Minister added. Likewise, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, Sanaullah also said that the party needs to up the ante on discussions and introspections prior to the elections. He also expressed discontent over the PTI's choice of Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi as a candidate for the Chief Minister post. Sanaullah said that he is "neither democratic nor tolerant and does not respect anyone". Sanaullah also lambasted Imran Khan after the latter urged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja to resign, stating that his party PTI won the elections despite the misuse of state machinery. Sanaullah said that Imran Khan has been attacking the CEC since the commission had reserved its verdict on PTI's foreign funding case. "You [Imran Khan] blackmail institutions just to get your own way," he said, adding that the PML-N condemns Khan's blackmailing and that he will not be allowed to act this way. "We stand with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)." The PML-N leader said that "this crazy person is still talking about elections getting rigged even after winning them," as per the media portal. "Would you [Imran Khan] believe in transparent elections only if you had won 20 out of 20 seats?" asked Sanaullah. He said that his party is standing with the ECP even after facing defeat in the elections. Taking a dig at Imran Khan over his party's victory in Punjab bypolls, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz has said PTI has no need to get "overexcited". Without naming anyone in her tweet, Maryam said criticism of the ECP was not due to rigging, which she said did not even take place. "It is the fear of the foreign funding case," she said. She went on to say that "there is irrefutable evidence against you which has to be revealed inevitably." She asked the ECP to issue its verdict on the case soon. "Losing 5 out of 20 seats of your own, no need to get too excited. Your attack on ECP is not a fraud that did not happen, but a fear of foreign funding decisions. You know that there is irrefutable evidence against you which is inevitable to be exposed. ECP will give a decision soon," PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz tweeted in Urdu. (ANI) At a time when Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented economic fiasco, the country's finance ministry said that in the four months through April India has emerged as a top lender for the island nation. India's disbursements of foreign loans and grants from January 1 to April 30, 2022 were 376.9 USD million compared to China which was only 67.9 USD million. India has come to rescue Sri Lanka which is currently under a severe economic crisis. The island country is facing an acute shortage of foreign currency along with food and fuel crisis. "In February 2022, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement for a USD 500 million supply of petroleum products from the Indian Oil Company through a credit line, this was expanded by a further USD 200 million in April," the country's finance ministry report said. "Whilst these credit lines have provided important supply channels, CeylonPetroleum Corporation (CPC) continues to face significant difficulties in procuring adequate fuel largely due to limitations in the availability of foreign exchange and external financing challenges," it added. Sri Lankan Government has made arrangements to mobilize foreign financing of USD 1,550.5 million by entering into 4 agreements with foreign development partners and lending agencies from 1st January to 30th April 2022, to support the public investment program. One agreement was of USD 1,500.0 million of Export credit Facilities extended by the EXIM Bank and State bank of India for the import of essential commodities. As of April 30, 2022, the total undisbursed balance of foreign financing available from already committed loans that are to be utilized in the next 3-5 years, was USD 8,054.3 million. India has the majority of the balance to be disbursed followed by, the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, China, and Japan respectively. ADB came in as the second largest lender with USD 359.6 million being disbursed in the first four months, followed by the World Bank with USD 67.3 million. India also emerged as the first responder under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's neighbourhood first policy when Sri Lanka was left alone by its so-called benefactors for funding support. Despite wide expectations, China's unwillingness or the reluctance to come to the rescue of Sri Lanka when it needed the most raised many eyebrows. On the other side, under the 'neighbourhood first policy', India has responded with urgency to the government of Sri Lanka's request for assistance in overcoming hardships and will enhance economic linkages between the two countries be it through infrastructure connectivity and renewable energy. In line with its "neighbourhood first" policy, India has been highly active to help Sri Lanka during its economic crisis. (ANI) Pakistan and China are mulling the possibility of extending the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan, a development that may prove to be a security concern for India. On Monday, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood met China's Special Envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Yue Xiaoyong. "The two sides exchanged views on the political and security situation in Afghanistan, humanitarian assistance by Pakistan and China to Afghanistan, and other matters of mutual interest," the Pakistan foreign ministry said in a statement. "In the context of regional connectivity, both sides exchanged views on the extension of CPEC to Afghanistan to promote economic development and prosperity," the statement added. CPEC is a part of China's most ambitious project 'Belt and Road Initiative', aimed at renewing the country's historic trade routes in the coastal countries of south-east Asia. In 2015, China announced the CPEC project which is worth USD 46 billion. Beijing aims to expand its influence in Pakistan and across Central and South Asia in order to counter the influence of the United States and India. The CPEC would link Pakistan's southern Gwadar port in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea to China's western Xinjiang region. It also includes plans to create road, rail, and oil pipeline links to improve connectivity between China and the Middle East. After the Taliban seized control over Afghanistan, the spokesperson of the Islamic group Zabiullah Mujahid said they "desire" to join the CPEC. This wish comes even as dozens of terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan target the multi-billion CPEC projects. In December last year, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) CTD Javed Iqbal Wazir told The News International that over 90 per cent of the terrorist groups are planning attacks and operating from across the border (Afghanistan). He said these groups mainly target CPEC projects, key installations, polio teams and economic activity. (ANI) Amid the unprecedented political and economic situation in Sri Lanka, the island country is now facing food insecurity due to the ongoing crisis that could severely affect thousands of children. Amid this crisis, the Colombo Expats Cultural Association (CECA) group of Indians in Colombo has taken a special task for a massive fundraising campaign to support this mammoth task of providing funds and food for the orphanages. This support comes as about 10,600 children living in 379 orphanages could face trouble due to a shortage of funds that they receive from foreign and non-governmental organizations. "Actually we are facing challenges, especially my department, the probation and the child care services. We are responsible for each and every child in Sri Lanka in my country. These children who are sheltered in orphanages are in a vulnerable group now because the foreign funds and NGOs fund those kinds of funds are being used for day-to-day activities... So in this situation, we can't predict the same kind of funds running into these orphanages," Thanuja Dissanayake, Acting Commissioner of the department of probation and child care services, Sri Lanka. A manager of the orphans centre told ANI that, "we need immediate support in terms of funds and basic foods for the kids because we already curtailed their food quantity due to the current crisis in the country." "Earlier we gave four curries in food items and now we have reduced the items and serve two curries and other foods," a Colombo-based orphan centre manager told ANI. The Colombo Expats Cultural Association (CECA) group of Indians in Colombo has taken a pledge for Providing food for the orphanages for 100 days. For that, CECA has ordered and the shipment has arrived in the Colombo port with the rice, pulses and other basic items and soon it will be handed over to the orphanage centres. "CECA mobilized a special task team for a massive fundraising campaign. With the ease of India-Sri Lanka import policies and government approval, it was decided that all these commodities be purchased in India and brought into Sri Lanka. Through the 30-day fundraising campaign, CECA was successfully able to fundraise enough to provide 306,500 Kg of Dry Ration. All thanks to families, friends, relatives and Corporates who poured their support in ways that was beyond expectation," Captain Anirban Banerjee told ANI. "The entire effort and consignments are scheduled to be shipped, unloaded and distributed to the last mile (379 orphanages) with the help of 20 trucks before July 31, 2022. CECA will make sure that all 10,600 kids living in 379 orphanages get their 100-day Dry Ration to their doorstep," he added. "We have a small number of food stocks. We don't have much food in stock... that will be very difficult to say how long we run the kitchen and foods for orphanages everything...we are very very committed and we will try to provide everything to the kids," orphanages centre manager told ANI. The department of probation child care services, which comes under the Minister of Women and Social Empowerment in Sri Lanka, praised India and the Indians who are helping the orphanage centres amid the crisis in the country. "This is not the first time that CECA is helping us... they helped us during the covid pandemic and organised art competitions and provided 700 computers to the orphanage when they were in vulnerable situations. On the behalf of the minister of women's affairs and social empowerment.. it's highly admirable and appreciable," Thanuja Dissanayake, Acting Commissioner of the department of probation and child care services, Sri Lanka told ANI. Meanwhile, the probation of Child Care Services is confident they will come out of the crisis after six months.(ANI) China and the European Union are set to hold high-level talks on the economy and trade amid tensions over human rights issues in Xinjiang and the war in Ukraine. This meeting comes after months of failed efforts to set a date for talks after the tense EU-China summit in April, during which the sides failed to agree on a joint statement. Besides the difference on the issue of the Ukraine war, another issue that could prove to be a bottleneck will be an unratified investment deal that has undergone a rocky journey since negotiations concluded in December 2020. "The 9th #EUChina High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue takes place tomorrow 19/07. I look forward to co-chairing this important event together with China Vice-Premier Liu He," said Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the EU Commission. Back in April, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said China wanted to set aside their difference on Ukraine - they did not want to talk about Ukraine. "They did not want to talk about human rights, and other issues, and instead focus on the positive things. The European side made clear that this "compartmentalization" is not feasible, not acceptable. For us, the war in Ukraine is a defining moment for whether we live in a world governed by rules or by force," he said. Borrell described the last summit as a "dialogue of the deaf" after European officials failed to secure reassurances that Beijing would not offer practical support to Russia. Since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the EU has called on China to use its influence with Russia to reach an immediate ceasefire and to support humanitarian corridors. "We stressed that any attempts to assist Russia militarily or to help Russia circumventing the sanctions that were taken would be having serious consequences and would deteriorate our relations. The Chinese side stuck to general statements of wishing to see peace - 'we are peaceful people, we do not invade the others' -, asking for de-escalation, but avoiding specific commitments or avoiding also any kind of blame on Russia," he said. Besides trade, the two sides in April this year discussed several international issues. The EU had called on China to play a constructive role in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Iran. The 27-member bloc also raised concerns over the South China Sea and called for preserving the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. In May 2021, the European Parliament voted to "freeze" a sweeping investment deal with China after Beijing slapped sanctions on European lawmakers in retaliation for the sanctioning of Chinese officials accused of oppressing the Uighur population in Xinjiang province. (ANI) Sri Lanka's main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has said that the party's leader Sajith Premadasa will be appointed as the Prime Minister if SLPP MP Dullas Allahaperuma is elected to the post of President. SJB General-Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that an agreement had been stuck with SLPP MP Allahaperuma on the same. Bandara claimed that Alahapperuma had sufficient support to be elected as the new President in the 225-member Parliament. There is a possibility of the formation of a multi-party government if Alahaperuma is elected as the President. SLPP Chairman G L Peiris also extended his support for Premadasa for the PM post. Addressing media at the Parliament complex, Peiris said that it was the wish of the people that the two main parties reach a solution to the current political crisis. Peiris also noted that most of the SLPP MPs were ready to support Alahapperuma. Responding to SLPP General Secretary earlier statement that SLPP had decided to support Ranil Wickremesinghe, Peiris said that General Secretary is yet to make things clear. Acting Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe is among the top three candidates for the Presidential election scheduled to be held in the crisis-marred island nation on July 20. SLPP's Allahaperuma and National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are the other two. The parliamentary referendum to elect the President will be held tomorrow, July 20 (Wednesday), thus the Parliament is adjourned till 10.00 am tomorrow. Sri Lanka's parliament is scheduled to elect a new president on July 20 following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who flew to Singapore via the Maldives, amid a severe economic crisis in the South Asian country. Premadasa today withdrew his candidature for President of the island nation and said he is supporting rival candidate Dullas Alahapperuma for the top post. Premadasa took to Twitter to say that his party the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and its alliance and opposition partners will support Alahapperuma, an MP of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), who is in the fray for the upcoming presidential elections. The Opposition leader said that he is heading with this decision as he seeks the "greater good" for Lankans. "For the greater good of my country that I love and the people I cherish I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the position of President. Samagi Jana Balawegaya and our alliance and our opposition partners will work hard towards making Dullas Alahaperuma victorious," he tweeted. Alahaperuma is a senior lawmaker from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and a former journalist. He was a Cabinet minister in the previous Rajapaksa government.Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is now the acting president, is among those who are in the race for the post of the President to be held on July 20 in which 225 members of the House are eligible to vote and participate in the secret ballot. It is interesting to note that the main opposition leader Premadasa earlier said that he is set to contest the presidential elections. Terming the scenario of him winning Sri Lanka's presidential elections an "uphill task", Premadasa last Friday said that he will contest the elections as he is convinced that the truth will prevail. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had offered his resignation after fleeing the country to Singapore. The president first flew to the Maldives after tens of thousands of protesters stormed his official residence in the capital Colombo. The economy in Sri Lanka is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves and the country's failure to meet its international debt obligations. Hundreds of Sri Lankans continue to queue up at petrol pumps across the debt-ridden country every day amid fuel shortage, and a large number of people are ditching their cars and motorcycles for bicycles for their daily commute. The economic crisis which is the worst in Sri Lanka's history has prompted an acute shortage of essential items like fuel. (ANI) As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19's far-reaching impacts and the emergence of new variants, US State Secretary Antony Blinken will co-host the COVID-19 Global Action Plan (GAP) Foreign Ministerial Meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa in a virtual mode on Tuesday (local time). The meeting will further galvanize international action, measure progress, and outline necessary steps to control COVID-19 and strengthen global health security. "Secretary of State Antony J Blinken will co-host the virtual COVID-19 Global Action Plan (GAP) Foreign Ministerial Meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, on July 19, 2022, at 7:30 a.m. ET," the State Department said in a statement. The COVID-19 Pandemic Prioritized Global Action Plan for Enhanced Engagement (GAP) was launched earlier this year. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus will also attend the virtual summit. The participants will meet to maintain progress and drive the action along the six GAP lines of effort -- getting shots in arms, bolstering supply chain resilience, addressing information gaps, supporting health care workers, ensuring acute Non-Vaccine interventions and strengthening the global health security architecture. There remains an urgent need for political and diplomatic engagement and coordination to accelerate progress to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen health security. Moreover, the US-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of US security interests in Asia and is fundamental to regional stability and prosperity. The Alliance is based on shared vital interests and values, including, the maintenance of stability in the Indo-Pacific region, the preservation and promotion of political and economic freedoms; support for human rights and democratic institutions; and, the expansion of prosperity for the people of both countries and the international community as a whole. US President Joe Biden in May announced that the US will share the critical Covid technologies through the World Health Organisation Covid-19 technologies access pool. "Today I am announcing that the US will share critical Covid technologies through the World Health Organisation Covid-19 technological access pool. We are making available the health technology that is owned by the US government including stabilized spike protein, which was used in many Covid-19 vaccines," US President said while chairing the Global COVID Virtual Summit. US President had said that USD 450 million seed funding for pandemic preparedness and global health security fund to be established this summer. In the virtual summit, Biden said, "The US has provided more than USD19 billion to help countries fight Covid-19, life-saving medicines, oxygen, tests, equipment, supplies, and partnered with countries to improve their capacity to manufacture vaccines. (ANI) "General Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, COAS Indian Army paid a courtesy call on Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh. He visited Defence Service Command & Staff College, Mirpur & delivered a lecture on India's Security Perspective to student officers & faculty of Armed Forces War Course," Indian High Commission in Bangladesh tweeted. The Indian Army Chief, who is on a four-day visit to Bangladesh, is also accompanied by a three-member delegation on this trip. India and Bangladesh enjoy robust and multifaceted bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including trade and connectivity, energy and power, water resources, border management, defence and security, culture and people-to-people links. A day earlier, the Indian Army Chief called on Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique (Retd), Security Advisor to Bangladesh PM and discussed steps to take forward the defence engagement between the two countries. "General Manoj Pande #COAS called on Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique (Retd), Security Advisor to #PrimeMinister of #Bangladesh and discussed steps to take forward the defence engagement between #Bangladesh and #India," the Indian Army tweeted. On Monday, the Indian Army Chief also interacted with other military officials of Bangladesh including General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff (COAS). "General Manoj Pande #COAS interacted with Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal #ChiefofNavalStaff, #BangladeshNavy & Air Vice Marshal M Shafiqul Alam, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) of #BangladeshAirForce and discussed aspects of mutual interest," the Indian Army tweeted. "General Manoj Pande #COAS called on General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, COAS #BangladeshArmy and discussed ways to enhance & strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries," Indian Army said in a tweet. The Indian Army chief, who arrived in Bangladesh on Sunday, received a Guard of Honour at a convention centre of the Armed Forces in Dhaka on Monday. The India-Bangladesh relationship is an important element of India's "Neighbourhood First" policy. 2021 was of special significance as both countries celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations, five decades of Bangladesh's independence and the birth centenary of its Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. (ANI) India and Fiji held the fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations (FoC) on Monday in Suva where both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen the close ties. The Indian side was led by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) and the Fijian side was led by Yogesh Karan, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Fiji. During the FoC, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations covering political, economic, defense, cultural and consular matters and discussed ways to further strengthen the close bilateral ties between India and Fiji. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of interest and agreed to enhance their cooperation in the multilateral fora. During the visit, Secretary (East) also called on the Prime Minister of Fiji Rear Admiral (Ret'd) Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and senior members of the Fijian Cabinet. Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to further strengthen the bilateral friendship and the development partnership between India and Fiji. It was agreed to hold the next round of consultations in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date. Back in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India's contribution to the global fight against the Covid Pandemic by supply of life-saving drugs, medical supplies and vaccines to countries around the world including Fiji. Speaking on the India-Fiji bilateral ties, the Prime Minister said that despite the existence of a vast ocean in between, the two countries are closely bonded together by culture and strong people-to-people ties. Noting that the bilateral relations have strengthened and grown over the years across all domains, PM expressed the hope that with the cooperation of the Fijian side, the relationship will become even stronger in the times to come. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Modi also conveyed his personal greetings to the Fijian Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, who celebrated his 68th Birthday. According to the MEA annual report, Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are part of India's engagement with the East. Under Act East Policy, the Government of India has stepped up its efforts to engage with countries in this region. The landmark initiative, the Forum for India-Pacific Cooperation (FIPIC), was launched under the rubric of the Act East Policy, by the Prime Minister at the first FIPIC summit that was held in Suva, Fiji in November 2014. The second edition was held in Jaipur in August 2015. (ANI) Days after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved of importing coal from Afghanistan, Kabul raised coal prices tonne for Pakistan, two days ahead of a visit by a delegation from Islamabad. The Taliban government has raised the price of coal yet again, this time by USD 80 per ton, Geo News reported citing media reports. The coal price has increased from USD 200 to USD 280 per tonne. Afghanistan's Ministry of Minerals and Petroleum spokesperson Ismatullah Burhan said that the new price for coal will come into immediate effect. The price of coal was increased owing to the constant surge of price in the global market, Burhan said adding that 10,000 tons of coal are exported to Pakistan every day earning the country millions. A trade delegation from Pakistan will visit Kabul from July 18 to 20 and they will have a discussion on bilateral trade and coal imports, Geo News reported quoting Afghan media. Earlier this month, the Taliban had increased the price of coal by 30 per cent after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved of importing coal from Afghanistan. The Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan had earlier raised the price of coal from USD 90 per tonne to USD 200 per tonne due to the increase in coal prices in world markets, reported local media. As per Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan would save more than two billion dollars by importing coal from Taliban-led Afghanistan. Shehbaz Sharif had approved the import of super-critical quality coal from Afghanistan in Pakistani rupee instead of dollars to help generate low-cost electricity in the country. He also gave orders to the relevant authorities, according to the statement, to create an efficient system in this regard. According to the Taliban, the purpose of increasing the price of coal was to increase the amount of tax and generate revenue for the country which is already in economic turmoil due to the drying of international assistance. It is noteworthy government collects 30 per cent of customs duty on coal exports. Moreover, after various sanctions imposed by the global community, the Taliban is now banking on its natural resources to survive. The Taliban are stepping up coal exports to Pakistan and have raised duties on sales, officials said, as the group aims to generate more revenue from its mining sector in the absence of direct foreign funding. The move comes with global coal prices near record highs after top exporter Indonesia imposed a shock ban on exports earlier in 2022 and then the Russia-Ukraine war, pushing prices up further. (ANI) The victim, born in Lithang in Tibet, arrived in France in 2014. He was found dead in front of the restaurant on July 11 in Saint-Leonard, a town located west of Fecamp. The procession was led by the widow of Tsultrim, who held the portrait of her late husband. They demanded the truth about Tsultrim's murder. Several gatherings and protests have already been organized by the Tibetan community in parts of Europe. On July 17, several thousand Tibetans demonstrated calmly in Paris to demand justice after the murder of their compatriot. "There is great anger within the Tibetan community in France," Celine Menguy, press officer for the Tibet Office said. Tibet is an "autonomous region" for China, a cut-off by Beijing, which is eradicating its culture and language by imposing Chinese policies. The murder of Saint-Leonard deeply shook the community as they mentioned "one event too many", in an increasingly tense political context which sees Beijing increasing its pressure on its diaspora. (ANI) Indian High Commission officials on Tuesday met Vivek Varma, an Indian national and Director of the Indian Visa Centre, who sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault last night near Colombo. "Officials of @IndiainSL met in the morning Mr. Vivek Varma, an Indian national and Director of Indian Visa Center, who sustained grievous injuries in an unprovoked assault last night near #Colombo. Matter brought to attention of authorities in #SriLanka," tweeted the High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka. "Relations between the people of India and Sri Lanka have always been cordial and friendly. In the current situation, #Indian nationals in #SriLanka are requested to remain aware of latest developments and accordingly plan their movements and activities. You may contact us when required," added High Commission of India in Colombo. Sri Lanka's Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday issued an Extraordinary Gazette declaring a State of Emergency in the island nation with effect from Monday, as the country grapples with social unrest and crippling economic crisis. The gazette notification says, the public emergency in Sri Lanka has been declared in the interests of public security, the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community, local media outlet Daily Mirror reported. Amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, a protest broke out in Colombo on Tuesday against acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe, demanding his resignation. The protestors argued that Ranil Wickremesinghe didn't come through a proper people's mandate. Sri Lankans protested outside the Colombo railway station. They arrived with Ranil's effigy at Fort Railway Station in Colombo shouting anti-Ranil Slogans. They also wore headbands "Go Ranil Go Home" after "Go Gota Go home" slogans used for ex-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. "This acting President doesn't have the people's mandate. We are going to protest until he goes home, or rather, he resigns," says a protester. Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned from the post of president last week following massive protests. Sri Lanka's acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Dullas Alahapperuma, and National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake were nominated for the post of president in parliament on Tuesday. Members of parliament will meet on Wednesday morning and elect a new president for Sri Lanka. Earlier on Tuesday, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who had earlier expressed his desire to contest for the post of president, announced that he would withdraw his presidential nomination. He said his party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will support Alahapperuma in the vote for the next president of Sri Lanka. The economy in Sri Lanka is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with lack of foreign reserves and the country's failure to meet its international debt obligations. (ANI) Police officials said four terrorists attacked the checkpost with a grenade followed by indiscriminate fire. The policemen responded to the attack, forcing the miscreants to flee, reported Dawn. The attackers had come in a car, the wounded policemen told investigators on Monday. The injured policemen were identified as check-post in-charge Rafiullah, constables Shamirul Hassan and Mir Abbas Khan. They were admitted to the KDA Teaching Hospital. The Ustarzai police said terrorists had come from the Kohat city side and fled towards Hangu, reported Dawn. Earlier, three persons, including a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier, were injured in a grenade attack on Sunday in Quetta. According to police, the attack took place when FC personnel were conducting snap checking at Qambrani Road, an area on the outskirts of Quetta, reported Dawn. Two persons riding a motorcycle hurled a hand grenade which exploded near the FC checkpoint. As a result, an FC soldier and two pedestrians were injured. The attackers escaped. Security forces cordoned off the area and shifted the injured to Civil Hospital. A search operation was underway. No organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack, reported Dawn. (ANI) The European Investment Bank (EIB) has joined India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to limit the destruction caused by climate change. EIB will work in partnership with national governments, UN agencies, multilateral development banks and the private sector to promote the rapid development of infrastructure resilient to climate change and natural disasters in countries at all stages of development, the EIB said in a statement. EIB President Werner Hoyer welcomed the initiative by the Indian government to create CDRI to build a global economy resilient to climate change and natural disasters. "As part of Team Europe, the EIB will offer advisory and financial support to CDRI members and ensure they can benefit from all relevant EU initiatives," he said. "We share a common vision of a green, sustainable and resilient world, built on cooperation, knowledge exchange and mutual respect. I look forward to translating this shared vison into concrete projects we can all benefit from," Hoyer added. The EIB intends to work with CDRI members to unlock the benefits of EU initiatives aiming to achieve sustainable global connectivity, such as the Global Gateway, and climate action initiatives such as the EU Green Deal. As the EU climate bank, the EIB will work within CDRI on sharing knowledge, including via its newly deployed development branch, EIB Global. The EU bank will also focus on developing standards and certification relevant to disaster-resilient infrastructure. The EIB will help CDRI to develop the research and knowledge-management capabilities of its members. Indian Co-chair of CDRI's Executive Committee, Kamal Kishore welcomed EIB's decision to support the vision of CDRI to deliver sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems globally. "CDRI welcomes the EIB, one of the world's main financiers of climate action and environmental sustainability, as a member and recognises the expertise it will bring to support the coalition's activities and member countries," he said. CDRI was launched at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019 at the initiative of India and allows its members to share knowledge and resources. It help countries to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals' (SDGs) and expand universal access to basic services. The development of resilient infrastructure is a key step in limiting the impact of climate change and ensuring the sustainable development of the global economy. This is especially relevant for developing economies, which are expected to be among the hardest hit by climate change, with poor and marginalised populations most exposed to the negative effects of rising global temperatures, EIB said in a statement. Developing countries currently require annual investments in climate adaptation in the range of EUR60 billion; by 2030 these countries will need between EUR120-250 billion per year. In addition, significant investments will be required to ensure that the EUR50-80 trillion of infrastructure planned for construction by 2030 is adapted to future climate impacts. Multilateral development banks like the EIB will have a crucial role in mobilising private and public finance for climate adaptation projects. In 2019, these institutions committed to doubling their collective total level of adaptation finance to EUR15 billion annually by 2025. In 2020, their adaptation finance totalled EUR13.6 billion, up from EUR11.9 billion in 2019 and EUR10.9 billion in 2018. Since the beginning of its operations in India in 1993, the EIB has supported 17 projects in transport, energy, agriculture, fisheries and forestry as well as India's small and medium enterprises and invested EUR4.2 billion. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will brief the MPs on the situation in Sri Lanka which is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, DMK's TR Baalu, MDMK's Vaiko, and Communist Party of India's Binoy Viswam are among the MPs attending the meeting. Congress MP P Chidambaram, YSRCP's Vijayasai Reddy, ADMK's M Thambidurai are also present. The government has called the meeting to address the concerns of several political parties as they are worried about the Sri Lankan crisis. In his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EAM Jaishankar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed his concern about the situation in Lanka and asked for permission to send relief material to the island nation. At the all-party meeting on Sunday, both DMK and AIADMK leaders had urged the Centre to intervene in the crisis to help the neighbouring country resolve its crisis. India has expeditiously finalized and delivered assistance as well as support worth about US$ 3.8 billion to help Sri Lanka deal with the economic crisis. This is in the form of currency swaps, deferment of repayment of Sri Lanka's liabilities to the Reserve Bank of India under the Asian Clearing Union mechanism. India has also provided credit assistance, of about 1.5 USD for the financing of imports of fuel, food, medicines, fertilizers, and other essential commodities from it. (ANI) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP, Dullas Alahapperuma expressed gratitude to country's main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and SLPP Chairman G L Peiris for nominating him as the candidate for Presidential post. Taking to Twitter, the SLPP leader said, "My gratitude to oppo. Leader @sajithpremadasa for his altruistic act in nominating me, & to @PodujanaParty Chairman Prof. G L Peiris for confirming me as a Presidential candidate. Appreciate all the others for their support & I wish my fellow candidates best for tomorw's election." Earlier in the day, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa withdrew his candidature for President of the island nation and extended his support to Dullas Alahapperuma for the top post. Premadasa took to Twitter to say that his party the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and its alliance and opposition partners will support Alahapperuma, an MP of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), who is in the fray for the upcoming presidential elections. Premadasa said that he is heading with this decision as he seeks the "greater good" for Lankans. "For the greater good of my country that I love and the people I cherish I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the position of President. Samagi Jana Balawegaya and our alliance and our opposition partners will work hard towards making Dullas Alahapperuma victorious," he said. Dullas Alahapperuma is a senior lawmaker from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and a former journalist. He was a Cabinet minister in the previous Rajapaksa government. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has said that the party's leader Sajith Premadasa will be appointed as the Prime Minister if SLPP MP Dullas Allahaperuma is elected to the post of President. SJB General-Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that an agreement had been stuck with SLPP MP Allahaperuma on the same. Bandara claimed that Alahapperuma had sufficient support to be elected as the new President in the 225-member Parliament. There is a possibility of the formation of a multi-party government if Alahaperuma is elected as the President. SLPP Chairman G L Peiris also extended his support for Premadasa for the PM post. Addressing media at the Parliament complex, Peiris said that it was the wish of the people that the two main parties reach a solution to the current political crisis. Peiris also noted that most of the SLPP MPs were ready to support Alahapperuma. Responding to SLPP General Secretary earlier statement that SLPP had decided to support Ranil Wickremesinghe, Peiris said that General Secretary is yet to make things clear. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is now the acting president is among those who are in the race for the post of the President to be held on July 20 in which 225 members of the House are eligible to vote and participate in the secret ballot. SLPP's Allahaperuma and National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are the other two. The parliamentary referendum to elect the President will be held tomorrow, July 20 (Wednesday), thus the Parliament is adjourned till 10.00 am tomorrow. Sri Lanka's parliament is scheduled to elect a new president on July 20 following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who flew to Singapore via the Maldives, amid a severe economic crisis in the South Asian country. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had offered his resignation after fleeing the country to Singapore. The president first flew to the Maldives after tens of thousands of protesters stormed his official residence in the capital Colombo. The economy in Sri Lanka is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves and the country's failure to meet its international debt obligations. Hundreds of Sri Lankans continue to queue up at petrol pumps across the debt-ridden country every day amid fuel shortage, and a large number of people are ditching their cars and motorcycles for bicycles for their daily commute. The economic crisis which is the worst in Sri Lanka's history has prompted an acute shortage of essential items like fuel. (ANI) Indian-origin former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak retained the lead in the fourth round of voting on Tuesday to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister, while one candidate was eliminated. Sunak came on top with 118 votes, followed by Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt with 92 votes and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss with 86 votes. Former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch was eliminated from the contest, reducing the number of the contestants to three, according to the 1922 Committee of Conservative Party backbenchers. The other two survivors are International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (92 votes) and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (86 votes). The three survivors are former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (118 votes), International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (92 votes) and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (86 votes). Sunak has won each of the past four voting rounds. Mordaunt is a consistent second, followed by Truss," Xinhua News Agency reported. The last vote among MPs is scheduled to take place on Wednesday. This will produce the final two candidates just before the parliamentarians go to summer recess on Thursday. Notably, the 1922 Committee aims to whittle down the field to two candidates in successive rounds of voting before the British parliamentarians break up for the summer recess on July 21. The final two contenders will then go through a postal ballot of all the Conservative members, numbering around 200,000, over the summer and the winner will be announced on September 5, becoming the new Tory leader and the UK's next Prime Minister. Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as Prime Minister in 2019 and announced on July 7 that he was stepping down as Prime Minister and leader of the UK Conservative Party. A total of 58 ministers quit the government following an ethics scandal which ultimately forced the UK Premier to resign. Johnson, 58, managed to remain in power for almost three years, despite allegations that he was too close to party donors, that he protected supporters from bullying and corruption allegations, and that he misled Parliament and was dishonest to the public about government office parties that broke pandemic lockdown rules. Johnson would continue to remain in office until October as caretaker prime minister until a new Tory leader is elected. Johnson, who won a landslide victory in the general election in 2019, lost support after he was caught in a string of scandals, including the 'Partygate' scandal and Pincher scandal involving his appointment of a politician accused of sexual misconduct. Johnson, however, defended his record as prime minister in the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, as he touted his achievements of pulling off the Brexit deal, rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine and helping Ukraine. "It's perfectly true that I leave not at a time of my choosing," he said, insisting "I'm also proud of the leadership that I have given and I will be leaving soon with my head held high," read Johnson's statement. (ANI) A human rights activist on Tuesday said that missing Baloch people are being executed in the custody of Pakistani security forces. A statement was issued by Baloch human rights activist Mama Qadeeroch against the genocide of Baloch people which stated that the missing people are being killed in the custody of Pakistani security forces, local media reported. With a spike in the number of enforced disappearances in Balochistan in the past few months, there is not even a single family in the province whose member or a relative has not been forcibly disappeared, reported a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) earlier this month. Enforced disappearances are used as a tool by Pakistani authorities to terrorize people who question the all-powerful army establishment of the country or seek individual or social rights. The report suggests that it is a crime that is often used by the authorities to get rid of people that are considered a "nuisance" without any arrest warrant, charge or prosecution. The forceful abductions are being carried out in Balochistan since the early 2000s. Students are often the most targeted section of these abductions. The victims also include several political activists, journalists, teachers, doctors, poets, and lawyers. The report added that tens of thousands of Baloch people have been kidnapped by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistani Army personnel in the last 20 years.Several victims have been killed and dumped and it is believed that many of them are still confined in the Pakistani torture cells.A majority of the students are kept in extra-judicial custody after they are picked up during raids on houses and hostels. Several protests are being carried out frequently in Balochistan to bring the practice into the light. The family members of the forcibly disappeared persons have formed an organisation called the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) to campaign against the disappearances.A hunger strike that has continued for over 4,670 days was carried out by VBMP. The organization has claimed that the Pakistani authorities have been involved in this practice.An annual report of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan, which is an organisation that documents human rights violations in the province, has said that students remained the main target of these kidnappings both in Balochistan as well as in other provinces of Pakistan. (ANI) Multinational companies in Pakistan are worried about the deteriorating law and order situation, especially in the country's financial hub Karachi. A recent survey conducted by The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) in Pakistan showed that the law and order situation in the country has worsened over the years. The report of the survey conducted by the representative body of over 200 multinationals operating in Pakistan suggested that 70 per cent of the CEOs polled reported security among the top three concerns for them versus 60 pc a year ago, the Dawn reported. The OICCI expressed concerns over the worsening security situation in the country and approached the Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah over the issue The OICCI conducted its annual 'Members Security Survey 2022', in May and June and polled as many as 115 members. The overall security situation has deteriorated notably in Karachi and Sindh, the survey said. "This is in contrast to the previous similar security surveys, which showed a constant improvement over the past seven years, especially in Karachi," the survey noted. It provides an area-wise account of depleting faith of local companies in the law and order situation and the administration's ability to tackle it. Karachi which is the nerve centre of commercial activity in Pakistan and is also called the financial capital of the country reveals a disturbing picture,the Dawn reported. The report said the recent high-profile incident involving Chinese expatriates appears to be one of the reasons for the growing security concern in Karachi. The survey also revealed a declining trend in businessmen's confidence with respect to the law and order situation in the country. "About half of the respondents felt that the security situation had some effect on their operations and associated businesses (suppliers/vendors and consumers) with 56pc of the respondents citing an increase in street crimes being faced by their employees," it said. Faultlines in Pakistan's economic policies have led to challenges for the rest of the social and commercial ecosystem. The perceptible deterioration in law and order across major cities has clearly hit the morale of investors including overseas ones. Ground-level feedback from various channels points towards a visible setback to industrial activities due to security challenges cropping up across Pakistan. The widespread militancy and lawlessness across the country has worsened the internal security situation. There is a rise in criminal gangs at the local level. All of this has further jeopardised the development and peaceful existence of Pakistani society. The chamber urged law enforcement agencies and other government authorities responsible for promoting investment and business activities to strengthen the overall security environment while especially focusing on foreigners' security and street crimes in the industrial cities of Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. (ANI) Even though the district is heavily militarized, fenced and rich in minerals and metals, the people are not receiving its benefits, local media reported. According to the Dawn newspaper, locals and officials said that the JUI-F leader Qari Samiuddin and his colleague, Hafiz Numan Dawar were on their way home in Eidek village when their car was ambushed on Bichi Road near Mirali town in North Waziristan on Thursday night. The gunmen shot at the two, leaving them dead on the spot. The relatives of the leader said that Qari Sami had no feud with anyone.The funeral prayers for the leader were held at a seminary attended by MNA Mohsin Dawar and a large number of people, the Dawn reported. This was the second targeted attack on JUI-F leadership in the restive district during the last one week. On Monday, a few unidentified gunmen killed a party's councillor-elect Malik Murtaza, who was also from Eidak village. He was elected councillor during the second phase of the local body elections. Qari Sami was head of the JUI-F's Mirali subdivision. He had contested the election on the party ticket from PK-111. He actively participated in local politics, often criticising the administration and law enforcement agencies for not handling law and order situations in the district, particularly targeted killings, the Dawn reported. Pakistan Army's General Officer Commanding Maj-Gen Naeem Akhthar condemned the killing. He vowed to serve justice and termed Qari Sami a strong voice for peace in the area. (ANI) A group of women in Panjshir province of Afghanistan have been voicing their demand for justice following the killing of a woman by the Taliban forces. A woman who was trying to take food to her husband in Panjshir Abshar district was shot by a Taliban sniper earlier this week, local media reported. Afghan women have been protesting against the Taliban for the violations of their rights and the removal of women from government institutions since they took over Afghanistan last August. The atrocities of the Taliban against Afghan women have been on an incessant surge since the organization seized power in Afghanistan in August last year, banning young girls and women of humanitarian rights. Taliban on Monday issued a new diktat against female employees and told them to send male relatives as their replacements. With regular reports of the use of torture and extrajudicial executions of civilians by the Taliban, serious human rights violations in the region have created a climate of fear and distrust. Earlier, in June, a London-based rights group raised concerns about the reports of unlawful killings and arbitrary arrests in Afghanistan's Panjshir province. "Constantly, reports are coming of arbitrary arrests and unlawful killings of civilians by the Taliban in Panjshir. Events in the last couple of weeks leave little room for doubt that there is a growing pattern of extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests committed by the Taliban," said Zaman Sultani, Amnesty International's South Asia Researcher. The amnesty researcher in a statement said these serious human rights violations create a climate of fear and distrust in the region and violate international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes. While the Taliban have rejected any reports of civilian deaths, these incidents are accompanied by a lack of accountability within the Taliban rank and file. As the de facto authorities in the country, the rights groups have asked the Taliban to take immediate steps to conduct thorough, impartial and independent investigations of these incidents and prosecute those responsible for the torture, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial execution, according to rights groups. "To ensure accountability, transparency and safeguard civilians from torture, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, the Taliban must release information on all those who have been arrested or detained and permit detainees to communicate with their families." On 12 June, the Taliban shot dead Murzataza, a resident of Khesa-Awal district of Panjshir who reportedly was also suffering from mental illness. Prior to that, the spokesperson for the Taliban Governor of Panjshir Province in a video statement to the media said that fewer than 40 people were arrested. In Panjshir the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, an armed group fighting against the Taliban, has strong presence. According to Sultani, events in the last couple of weeks leave little room for doubt that there is a growing pattern of extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests committed by the Taliban. (ANI) Fiscal prudence and learning from Sri Lanka were discussed at the all-party meeting on the situation in the island country with some parties opposing and questioning the move to bring in the issue while some parties also supported the idea to discuss fiscal prudence, sources said on Tuesday. TRS sources said that the party strongly objected to the mention of state borrowings. "We strongly objected to the mention of state borrowings. Why not what the Centre is borrowing? Why bring politics into this? The BJP office, through its political motives, has highlighted the Telangana fiscal issues," a TRS source said. PV Midhun Reddy of YSRCP is also learnt to have objected to the mention of the financial situation of the states. "In Sri Lanka meeting why are you raising the financial situation of the states! Is this a political meeting?" he is learnt to have said. Reddy is learnt to have also said that in the presentation of the Finance Ministry, mention was made of the borrowings of the state but no figures was given in terms of the borrowings of the Centre. Members expressed concern over the situation in the neighbouring country and said India should extend more help. Members of AIADMK and TMC were among those who lauded the initiative of the government to call the meeting. Sri Lanka is battling its worst economic crisis in seven decades. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said that India should make more efforts to save Sri Lanka while also taking care of its own needs. "The nation (Sri Lanka) is dying. We have to save that country. Finance Secretary said that our condition is not bad & our reserves are better. China's debt trap is not the only concern for (Sri Lanka). They have taken money from many places," he said. "The government briefed us about the situation in Sri Lanka and about their loans. There are many Sri Lankan citizens who are living in Tamil Nadu since the crisis began in Sri Lanka. The question is how much can we bear because we also have our own problems. The question is also how can we extend them help while also saving our own country. All of us said that India is a large nation and the nearest nation to Sri Lanka. It is our responsibility to help them. India will have to fulfil that responsibility," he said. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party leader Hanuman Beniwal said the government should announce a special package for Sri Lanka. He said they have supported the Indian government's efforts to provide assistance to Sri Lanka. "We need to announce a special package for Sri Lanka to help them in this hour of crisis because they are in really bad shape," he said. AIADMK leader M Thambidurai said after the all-party meeting that they requested the Centre to help Sri Lankan people. "India must come forward and help any neighboring country. India is the main helper of Sri Lanka, no other country has come forward. We appreciate efforts of Government of India," he said. Tamil Maanila Congress leader said the meeting has provided hope for Sri Lankan people "We thanked central government for calling this crucial meeting at a time when Sri Lankan people and Tamils are in crisis. This meeting has provided hope for Sri Lankan people. Indian food items and other essentials should be given without discrimination," he said. In his remarks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said there is very serious crisis in Sri Lanka and India has approached the situation in the neighbouring country in a very humanistic way as party of its neighbourhood first policy. The minister told the all-party meeting that the situation in Sri Lanka is unprecedented and India is worried about it but drawing comparisons is uninformed. The meeting was attended by representatives of 28 political parties. Jaishankar told the media later that if there is instability in any neighbouring country or any violence, "that is a matter of deep concern to us". Referring to USD 3.8 billion support that India has given to Sri Lanka, he said "no other country has given this level of support". Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in seven decades. The minister said that big lessons of Sri Lanka are to be drawn on fiscal prudence and good governance and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "we have both in very ample measure". Jaishankar said that fishermen's issue also came up during the meeting. "We have long-standing issues there. Some of the issues came up in terms of fishermen's issues. "So, naturally the level of concern, as well as the worry that there would be spillover to India, is there. If there is instability in any neighbouring country or any violence, that is a matter of deep concern to us," he said. The minister said many members were concerned about lessons of Sri Lanka and "we had anticipated that question". "We also have seen some very misplaced speculation in press saying something has happened in Sri Lanka so should we be worrying about situations in parts of India," he said. "So, we had asked Finance Ministry to make a presentation that brought out, statewise, the expenditure to revenue comparison, liabilities to GSDP, growth rate or liablities of various Indian states, budget borrowings that they have done, mortgaging of assets. "The unpaid power dues to GENCOMs and DISCOMs and the outstanding guarantees that states have. So we had a very good discussion. Members were very keen to know how much we have done," he added. The minister said that as Sri Lanka's discussions with IMF go forward, India will give whatever support it can give in terms of working with relevant agencies. "We've approached it(Sri Lanka situation)in a very humanistic way as part of our neighbourhood first policy. They're still in a very delicate situation. As their discussions with IMF go forward, whatever support we can give in terms of working with relevant agencies, we'll do," he said. He said there were two presentations during the meeting including that from a political perspective "We had done two presentations. One was done from a political perspective, from a foreign policy perspective which explained to all leaders that the political turbulence in Sri Lanka, economic crisis which was there - the debt situation," he said. "The support that India has given of 3.8 Billion dollars assistance - no other country has given this level of support to Sri Lanka this yr & the initiative that we're taking -how to help them & facilitate their engagement with other bodies including IMF and other debtors," he added. He said the meeting was government initiative and 38 leaders from political parties attended the meeting. "There's a very serious crisis in Sri Lanka, the situation there is unprecedented in terms of what we are seeing and the financial, social and political consequences of that. It's our very close neighbour," he said. The minister said 46 parties were invited to the meeting. There were eight ministers, including Pralhad Joshi and Purshottam Rupala," he said. (ANI) Union Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday called for strengthening and expanding the India-Africa ties and said that India can offer emerging technologies to expand trade, commerce investment and opportunities for youth of Africa. Goyal was speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry-Exim Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership here on Tuesday. "India-Africa are natural partners. When we work together we can move mountains...India can offer emerging technologies that we are working on in India which can easily help expand trade, commerce, investment and opportunities for youth of Africa," the minister said. Goyal further said that there are immense possibilities between India and Africa thus the two countries need to further expand the relationship and partnership. He said that the Conclave highlighted how India can play a pivotal role in economic development of several Africal countries in industry based skill developments, employement, financial inclusion, basic needs of people across the African continent, infrastructure creation and providing connectivity through greater and deeper penetration of telecom networks. "We had a strong partnership during COVID-19 pandemic, particulary, supporting many countries through our vaccine Maitry program and other health related engagements. This underslines the solidarity between India and Africa. We need to further expand this partnership," Goyal said. "After the pandemic both countries have shown signs of resilience, recovery and renewal," he added. He said that several other countries have expressed desire to work with India and look forward to enhance trade partnership and bilateral engagements. "We concluded a CEPA with UAE, an ECTA with Australia. We are at advanced stage of discussion with UK and are looking for an enhanced partnership with Canada, EU, Israel and other nations. I want to invite African brothers/sisters to join us in this partnership," Goyal said. "It's time we also looked at further deepening and strengthening the trade partnership and possibly looked at giving greater trading access to both the African continent and to India so that we can expand this trade in a much faster and greater way," the minister added. Earlier in the day, the Union minister underlined that the India-Africa partnership will play an important role over the next 25 years to fulfill the aspirations of India and Africa. "India and Africa can lead global growth. We look at Africa as partners in progress," Goyal said.Both can work together to bring cost-effective solutions in several areas like drinking water, logistics, healthcare, education, fintech, and solar power, among others, the minister said. The Union Minister mentioned four areas that can help fulfill the aspirations of both India and Africa. These comprise solar power to bring clean energy, energy security, jobs to Africa, defence trade, physical and digital infrastructure, and co-creating a startup ecosystem. On India becoming the world's third largest startup ecosystem, Goyal said that India can help co-create similar systems in various African nations and grow together. The CII-Exim Bank event was launched in the year 2005 with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In the last sixteen editions, the Conclave has played a pivotal role in encouraging Indian companies to establish and grow their footprints in Africa. (ANI) Sri Lanka's main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa on Tuesday urged India to support the debt-ridden country to overcome the crisis, irrespective of the political developments after the presidential elections scheduled on Wednesday. Taking to Twitter, Premadasa said, "Irrespective of who becomes the President of Sri Lanka tomorrow, it is my humble and earnest request to Hon. PM Shri @narendramodi, to all the political parties of India and to the people of India to keep helping mother Lanka and its people to come out of this disaster." Notably, at a time when Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented economic fiasco, the country's finance ministry said that in the four months through April India has emerged as a top lender for the island nation. India's disbursements of foreign loans and grants from January 1 to April 30, 2022 were 376.9 USD million compared to China which was only 67.9 USD million. India has come to rescue Sri Lanka which is currently under a severe economic crisis. The island country is facing an acute shortage of foreign currency along with food and fuel crisis. India also emerged as the first responder under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's neighbourhood first policy when Sri Lanka was left alone by its so-called benefactors for funding support. Under the 'neighbourhood first policy', India has been highly active to help Sri Lanka during its economic crisis. India has responded with urgency to the government of Sri Lanka's request for assistance in overcoming hardships and will enhance economic linkages between the two countries be it through infrastructure connectivity and renewable energy. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's parliament is scheduled to elect a new president on July 20 following the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who flew to Singapore via the Maldives, amid a severe economic crisis in the South Asian country. Earlier in the day, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa withdrew his candidature for President of the island nation and extended his support to Dullas Alahapperuma for the top post. Premadasa took to Twitter to say that his party the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and its alliance and opposition partners will support Alahapperuma, an MP of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), who is in the fray for the upcoming presidential elections. He said that he is heading with this decision as he seeks the "greater good" for Lankans. Sri Lanka's main opposition party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has said that the party's leader Sajith Premadasa will be appointed as the Prime Minister if SLPP MP Dullas Allahaperuma is elected to the post of President. Dullas Alahapperuma is a senior lawmaker from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and a former journalist. He was a Cabinet minister in the previous Rajapaksa government. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is now the acting president is among those who are in the race for the post of the President to be held on July 20 in which 225 members of the House are eligible to vote and participate in the secret ballot. SLPP's Allahaperuma and National People's Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake are the other two. The parliamentary referendum to elect the President will be held tomorrow, July 20 (Wednesday), thus the Parliament is adjourned till 10.00 am tomorrow. Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had offered his resignation after fleeing the country to Singapore. The president first flew to the Maldives after tens of thousands of protesters stormed his official residence in the capital Colombo. The economy in Sri Lanka is bracing for a sharp contraction due to the unavailability of basic inputs for production, an 80 per cent depreciation of the currency since March 2022, coupled with a lack of foreign reserves and the country's failure to meet its international debt obligations. Hundreds of Sri Lankans continue to queue up at petrol pumps across the debt-ridden country every day amid fuel shortage, and a large number of people are ditching their cars and motorcycles for bicycles for their daily commute. The economic crisis which is the worst in Sri Lanka's history has prompted an acute shortage of essential items like fuel. (ANI) China has invested in white elephant projects in Sri Lanka that primarily produce jobs for Chinese people while benefiting no Sri Lankan, said Chennai-based policy expert N. Sathiya Moorthy. While speaking with ANI, policy commentator Sathiya Moorthy said, "The problem with Chinese debt is about investment in white elephant projects like expressways that did not have use and did not produce revenue to repay the loan. It generated jobs for Chinese in China and Sri Lanka, but no Sri Lankan benefited in terms of jobs and family incomes." Sathiya Moorthy busted the common myth of China lending a huge amount of money to Sri Lanka. He noted, "It is not debt-diplomacy as commonly understood. China accounts for only 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's external debt and there are bigger lenders in international institutions." Commenting on the acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe's possible standpoint (if he remains to hold the position) over Chinese white elephant projects, the policy analyst pointed out that China will work with the leader that the Sri Lankans 'elect'. It is not about whether it is Rajapaksa or not and, in fact, it is about the nature of the relationship, he added. For instance, the analyst said, "Though the Rajapaksas called in China for the Hambantota project, the successor Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe government (2015-19) alone transferred the property/territory to the Chinese builders." Notably, Maithripala Sirisena from Sri Lanka Freedom Party served as the seventh President of Sri Lanka from 9 January 2015 to 18 November 2019 while Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party has been sworn in as prime minister for the most times in the country's history, on six occasions (May 1993, December 2001, January 2015, August 2015, December 2018, and May 2022) "After blaming the Rajapaksas for pushing the nation into a Chinese 'debt-trap', this (Ranil Wickremesinghe's) government also borrowed big time from China, again for the very same white elephant projects, namely, more expressways," he continued saying. As the stage is all set for Sri Lanka's presidential elections, commenting on the current political situation, he said, "There is no clarity in SLPP's position and unity. If no candidate obtains a simple majority of 113 votes in a Parliament with 225 MPs, the second preference vote would be taken into consideration." Sri Lanka has been witnessing an uprising as the protestors first demanded the ouster of Rajapaksas and are now calling for the acting President Wickremesinghe to step down from his position. Observing unrest in Sri Lanka amid the economic and political fiasco, the policy analyst said, "The burning down of ruling party politicians' homes on 9 May, followed by that of PM Ranil's house on 9 July, all point to a certain possibility. Some of the parties spearheading the mass protest have since talked about 'civil war' if Ranil is elected President, among other reasons." Furthermore, he said that no refugee crisis is expected in India if the situation in northern areas remain normal. He said that Sri Lankans appreciate India's generosity in their hour of national crisis. "India-Sri Lanka relations are always on an even keel. Whenever Sri Lanka moves towards China now and the US during the Cold War, there have been episodic setbacks, or perceptions of the same. Overall, the Government of India has had a handle on Sri Lanka relations all along, and the current acknowledgement that India is the only nation to rush aid and credit continually, as if on demand, has only bolstered the average Sri Lankan people's appreciation of the Indian largesse in their hour of national crisis." "Yet, ideological anti-India forces would continue to place hurdles, but both governments, now or later, are not incapable of navigating the same through a safe course, for the collective betterment of their peoples." Over the possibility of Sri Lanka to be ruled by a civil society activist, the analyst said, "No. The nation needs an efficient and experienced leadership or leaderships through the next 10 years at least to guide politics and restore the economy. Activists come with their limitations." One of the demands that Sri Lankans have been making is the roll-back of the 20th amendment. The 20th amendment brought back most of the constitutional powers to the President which were previously abolished in the 19th amendment. "Through the crisis, there were talks on roll-back from the 20th Amendment to the 19th, especially in relation to curtailing the sweeping powers of the Executive President, and restoring the forgotten supremacy of Parliament through a Cabinet led by the Prime Minister." The 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution of Sri Lanka was passed and it envisaged the dilution of powers of Executive Presidency, which had been in force since 1978. However, 20th amendment brought back most of the constitutional powers to the President which was previously abolished in the 19th amendment. Responding to a question on whether Sri Lanka will see the roll-back of the 20th amendment the analyst said, "According to Sri Lankan media reports, Ranil, as the candidate, has promised the same, or restoring 19-A through a new constitutional amendment Bill, to some Opposition group leaders after the polling date was announced." "In terms of details, there could be quibbling, both inside Parliament and outside, before the Bill takes shape. If the Rajapaksas still hold sway, their line of thinking would have to be accommodated, but indications are that they would not stand in the way, after they have understood the people's mood." (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaking at the 17th CII EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa growth partnership said that India has extended concessional loans of over 12.3 billion dollars to Africa. "Being a trusted partner in the journey of socio-economic development, India has extended concessional loans of over 12.3 billion dollars to Africa. We've completed 197 projects so far, 65 more are currently under execution & 81 are at the pre-execution stage," said Jaishankar. He also highlighted that India has granted USD 700 million of grant assistance. "Our development projects in various sectors such as drinking water schemes to irrigation, rural-solar electrification, power plants, transmission lines, cement, sugar and textile factories, technology parks, railway infrastructure etc. have generated local employment and changed the life of many people in Africa," said the EAM. Jaishankar also informed about various development works done by India in African countries like Gambia, Zambia, Mauritius, Namibia and South Sudan. "In Gambia, India has constructed the National Assembly building and undertaken projects in water supply, agriculture and food-processing," said Jaishnakr. "In Zambia, India has been involved in important hydropower projects, erection of pre-fabricated health posts and in the supply of vehicles. In Mauritius, our recent notable project includes metro express, the new Supreme Court and social-housing," he added. He underscored the focus on training and education in Africa to create new opportunities for cooperation. "In Namibia, a new centre of excellence in IT has just become operational, whereas, in South Sudan as with so many other African partners, we are focussing on training and education and welcome new opportunities for cooperation," said Jaishankar. He further stressed the cooperation between India and African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, India continued its engagement with Africa by focussing more on the virtual format. The 15th and 16th editions of CII-EXIM Bank Africa Conclave were accordingly held in that mode. We tried to make real difference in continent's ability to cope with the pandemic. 32 African countries received 150 tonnes of medical assistance from India. Many of them also utilized 'Made in India' vaccines, received directly or otherwise from us," said Jaishankar. A wide-ranging and detailed agenda was deliberated upon during the course of the day ranging from higher education or skilled development, building stronger financial partnerships or strengthening value-chains in agriculture and food processing. "These are all significant sectors of cooperation between us and had created a buzz among the India-Africa business community, said Jaishankar. India and Africa have long-standing, historic trade and economic linkages - whether it is commerce, culture or mobility. There are truly historical linkages that give a contemporary partnership a strong sense of comfort. "It is only natural that during the 20th century - India should support African countries in the quest to attain independence and fight against apartheid," said the EAM. Africa plays an important role in India's foreign policy outlook, reflected in the expanding diplomatic footprint that today covers 43 African countries. "It is our ability to take these goals forward that defines the rebalancing that the world is currently undergoing. During the last 8 years, there is also stepped up engagement with the continent recording 36 high-level visits from India and more than 100 similar ones from Africa," said Jaishankar. Development partnership is the primacy of India's Africa policy due to post-colonial reconstruction. This has been the centre-piece of the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) that first commenced in 2008. Since then, the IAFS Summit has expanded very significantly. Particularly, after 2015 the engagements have intensified, which underlines Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal commitment to greater equity and sustainable development. "The current Indian approach to our cooperation was enunciated by him in Kampala in July 2018," added Jaishankar. (ANI) The leaders include Vice President of Gambia Badara A Joof, Vice President of Mauritius Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon, Vice President of Zambia WK Mutale Nalumango and Deputy Prime Minister of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The African leaders are in New Delhi to participate in the Confederation of Indian Industry and EXIM Bank of India (CII-EXIM) Bank Conclave 2022 along with other bilateral engagements. During the interaction, Naidu said that India-Africa relations are based on shared history, cultural values and strong people-to-people ties. Recalling his recent visit to Africa, the Vice President called for further strengthening the India-Africa relationship in a mutually beneficial manner. Yesterday, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal called for strengthening and expanding the India-Africa ties and said that New Delhi can offer emerging technologies to expand trade, commerce investment and opportunities for the youth of Africa. Earlier in the day, the Union Minister underlined that the India-Africa partnership will play an important role over the next 25 years to fulfil the aspirations of India and Africa. "India and Africa can lead global growth. We look at Africa as partners in progress," Goyal said.Both can work together to bring cost-effective solutions in several areas like drinking water, logistics, healthcare, education, fintech, and solar power, among others, the minister said. The Union Minister mentioned four areas that can help fulfil the aspirations of both India and Africa. These comprise solar power to bring clean energy, energy security, jobs to Africa, defence trade, physical and digital infrastructure, and co-creating a startup ecosystem. On India becoming the world's third largest startup ecosystem, Goyal said that India can help co-create similar systems in various African nations and grow together. The CII-Exim Bank event was launched in the year 2005 with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In the last sixteen editions, the conclave has played a pivotal role in encouraging Indian companies to establish and grow their footprints in Africa. (ANI) Built under New Delhi's assistance, an academic building has been inaugurated in Nepal as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav which celebrates 75 years of India's independence. Prashant Kumar Sona, Second Secretary, Embassy of India and Karasang Lama, Chief of Sindhuli District Coordination Committee jointly inaugurated the Sindhuli Community Technical Institute building at Kamalamai Municipality-6 on Tuesday. The project was undertaken with grant assistance from India at the cost of Rs 44.18 million under the India-Nepal Development Cooperation in Education Sector as a Community Development Project. "India and Nepal enjoy a multi-faceted and multi-sectoral development partnership that is reflective of the closeness of the people of both countries. The implementation of this Institute project reflects the continued support of the Government of India in complementing the efforts of the Government of Nepal to create infrastructure in priority sectors like education," a release from the Indian Mission in Kathmandu stated. Sindhuli Community Technical Institute was established in 2014. It is Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) partner institution and runs as a joint venture of Sindhuli DCC and Kamalamai Municipality. The institute has been imparting Diploma in Civil Engineering and Agriculture (Animal Science) education. It also runs Bachelor in Technical Education Civil Engineering and Information Technology with the affiliation of Kathmandu University. The institute has over 292 students, about 30 per cent of whom are girls. The new infrastructure created for the institute in Nepal with the Government of India's assistance will provide a facility to the students for seeking a better education. Since 2003, India has taken up over 527 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal and has completed 470 projects in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation and creation of other public utilities across all 7 provinces of Nepal at the grassroots level. Out of this, 103 HICDPs are in Bagmati Province, including 4 projects in Sindhuli District. India and Nepal enjoy multi-faceted and multi-sectoral development partnership that is reflective of the closeness of the people of both countries. The implementation of this Institute project reflects the continued support of the Government of India in complementing the efforts of the Government of Nepal to create infrastructure in priority sectors like education. (ANI) More than a dozen Democratic members of Congress, including lawmaker Ilhan Omar, were arrested in Washington DC during an abortion rights protest in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday (local time). A video clip shared by Omar's official Twitter handle showed the lawmaker pretending to be handcuffed as they were escorted away from the Supreme Court by police. "Today I was arrested while participating in a civil disobedience action with my fellow Members of Congress outside the Supreme Court. I will continue to do everything in my power to raise the alarm about the assault on our reproductive rights!" Ilhan Omar tweeted. The US Capitol Police said that they arrested 35 people including 17 members of Congress. "Demonstrators are starting to block First Street, NE. It is against the law to block traffic, so officers are going to give our standard three warnings before they start making arrests," the police tweeted. "We made a total of 35 arrests for Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding (DC Code SS 22-1307). That arrest number includes 17 Members of Congress," the tweet added. Apart from Omar, the detainee, as per CNN include -- Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Barbara Lee of California, Jackie Speier of California, Sara Jacobs of California, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, Andy Levin of Michigan, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Madeline Dean of Pennsylvania, Cori Bush of Missouri, Carolyn Maloney of New York, Nydia Velazquez of New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Alma Adams of North Caroliimage. Abortion rights supporters and those opposed to abortion rights have been demonstrating near the Supreme Court since the court's decision to strike down abortion protections under Roe nearly a month ago, as per reports. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the US abolished abortion rights while overturning the constitutional right granted to women in a historical 1973 ruling called Roe vs Wade. Through this, abortion was legalized across the states. The Supreme Court has struck down Roe vs Wade, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion, and ruled that states may regulate the practice of it. (ANI) A civic group in Nepal has submitted a memorandum to Minister of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Shashi Shrestha, demanding to claim country's territory occupied by China. A delegation of Rastriya Ekata Abhiyan, led by its President Binay Yadav, handed over the memo to the Minister on Tuesday in Kathmandu. The civic body also drew Minister's attention to the latest incursion of China whereby the Beijing side has erected a fence at the Ruila border of Chumanubri Rural Municipality-1 in Gorkha without coordinating with the opposite side. "The encroachment in various areas of the Nepal-China border, including Ruila, in violation of international law and values, is not only an insult to the friendship between the two countries but also a direct challenge to the sovereignty of Nepal," President Yadav said in the memorandum. Similarly, President Yadav added that repeated attacks on Nepal's territorial integrity by China in face of Nepal's condemnation have not deterred the Beijing side to undertake its illegal motives. He also lauded the steps taken against the encroachments on the Nepal-China border as the current government came to power. "However, despite the diplomatic efforts made by the government, border encroachment continues," he added. The memorandum stated: "We expect decisive and strict action by this government against border encroachment, the Ekata Abhiyan continues to fully support and cooperate with the government in its every step." Earlier in June, a vernacular Nepali media had reported about the encroachment of Nepali land by China building a fence next to the no-man's-land in Northern Gorkha. The fence, as reported by the locals, has been built without abiding by any of the criteria to be followed while constructing the structure at the border. Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor Gorkha's District Administration Office is aware of the Chinese side's illegal occupation at the Ruila border. Gorkha Chief District Officer Shankar Hari Acharya expressed ignorance about the fencing at the border. According to international norms, no structure or fences can be built in no man's land. Such action requires bilateral consensus. However, locals have claimed that China put up a fence at the Ruila border within the no-man's land area without following international norms. With the Chinese illegal occupation of erecting fences, locals' movement across the border has come to a halt. Locals have complained that they faced problems in bringing essential daily necessities. Locals added that China also set up closed circuit television cameras in the area and has been monitoring the situation. Earlier, China had also erected such a fence at Nguila border in Chhokangparo of Chumanubri Rural Municipality-7 and removed it later. (ANI) The maternity unit of a Pennsylvania hospital is experiencing its own baby boom. Nearly a dozen nurses in the family maternity and neonatal intensive care units at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, are giving birth this year. Six nurses have already given birth and five more are due between now and November, according to the hospital. We do babies," nurse manager Marguerite Fritsch said in a statement. Thats what we do." PHOTO: Nearly one dozen nurses at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, Penn., are pregnant or have recently given birth. (WellSpan Health) Danielle McBride, a clinical nurse, was the first of her colleagues to announce her pregnancy in June 2021. McBride, who gave birth in February to a daughter named Skylar, described what it was like to see her pregnancy announcement be the first of many among her colleagues. "We kept joking that it would go in threes and then the three just multiplied by three and then by three," she told "Good Morning America." Angela Myers, a nurse aide who is 21 weeks pregnant, told "GMA" it became a game in the unit to guess who would announce a pregnancy. "We were taking guesses on who is going to be next," she said. "It's crazy how it all fell into place and all of us were so excited for each other." PHOTO: Nearly one dozen nurses at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, Penn., are pregnant or have recently given birth. (WellSpan Health) The 11 colleagues, who have either recently given birth or are currently pregnant, work on a team of just 70 people. As a result, traveling nurses and nurses who were previously working part-time have stepped in to help, according to Lauren DiPiano, a clinical nurse who gave birth two months ago. "It just goes to show how much of a family we are," she told "GMA," describing the nurses in the unit as a "sisterhood." "People are picking up shifts when people are off. People that are in different stages of life and older have been really picking up the slack, and it's so fun for us to learn from them," DiPiano said. So far, all but one of the nurses who have given birth have done so in the same maternity unit where they work. "It's important to shout out our midwives and doctors because we work very closely with them too and they're always taking care of us," DiPiano said. Story continues MORE: Baby on board! 7 firefighter families from 1 station are expecting babies at the same time Each nurse has been celebrated individually with a baby shower, which Myers organizes. The babies who have already been born have had play dates together and many will attend the same schools as they get older, according to the nurses. "We're genuinely so excited for each other," DiPiano said. "Motherhood, there's nothing greater than that." PHOTO: Nearly one dozen nurses at WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in Ephrata, Penn., are pregnant or have recently given birth. (WellSpan Health) And while the joke around the hospital has been that there must be something in the water, medical experts say baby booms are nothing more than a fun coincidence. "More likely, I think it's people who are around the same age, going through the same thing, and they see people getting pregnant and being able to handle it," Dr. Joanne Stone, director of maternal-fetal medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital, told "GMA" in 2019, after a series of similar instances at workplaces across the country. "It's more of an atmospheric thing than there's any medical reason for it." Nearly 1 dozen nurses in maternity unit are pregnant within the same year originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com There's a room dedicated to Peggy Carter in Avengers Campus if you know where to look. Kirsten Acuna/Insider Insider previewed Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris on July 20. The land is filled with nods to Marvel movies and shows and other Disney parks. From Deadpool to a Peggy Carter room, here are the best ones you don't want to miss when you visit. Deadpool appears briefly on the Avengers Assemble: Force Flight attraction queue. Deadpool at Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris. Kirsten Acuna/Insider, 20th Century Fox A mention of Wade Wilson appears during an approximately nine-minute video inside the attraction's queue. On the attraction, Iron Man/Tony Stark learns a Kree missile is heading towards Earth to destroy it. Seeking help, Tony goes through his list of contacts and the names of various Marvel characters flash on the screen. Deadpool is featured under a "Do Not Contact" list of Marvel characters which also includes Kraglin, Nebula, and Yondu of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Loki, Brock Rumlov aka Crossbones, Sonny Burch ("Ant-Man and the Wasp" villain"), and former Stark Industries' scientist William Ginter Riva who reappeared in 2019's "Spider-Man: Far From Home" working with Mysterio. The antihero is one of many Marvel characters to make a cameo on the attraction queue. Spider-Girl, Miles Morales, Wiz Kid, and Squirrel Girl are among other names to pop up. Miles Morales is among the names who show up in Avengers Campus. Morales' artwork can be seen at Disneyland's park in California. Kirsten Acuna/Insider, Sony Pictures Animation When the video scrolls by the list of Peter Parker's Worldwide Engineering Brigade (W.E.B.) buddies, you can spot a few younger heroes who haven't appeared in the MCU yet: Doreen A. Green aka Squirrel Girl, Gwen Stacy aka Spider-Woman/Spider-Gwen, Miles Morales, Lunella Lafayette aka Moon Girl, Takeshi Matsuya aka Wiz Kid, and Anya Corazon aka Spider-Girl. Harley Keener ("Iron Man 3") can also be spotted among the youngsters' names. Most of these characters are mentioned on lockers inside the Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure. The Time Variance Authority from Disney+'s "Loki" is also referenced in the same video. The TVA is referenced at Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris. Kirsten Acuna/Insider, Marvel Studios Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris takes place in the vast Marvel multiverse. (It's the answer you get from Disney if you ask how Tony Stark exists on Avengers Campus when he died in "Avengers: Endgame.") Story continues On "Loki," we learned all about the multiverse and how there are variant versions of characters. It's not too surprising to see the Time Variance Authority (TVA) mentioned on the attraction. At Disneyland's California theme park, a variant version of Loki appeared after the show debuted on Disney+. It's more interesting to learn that this Tony Stark has an awareness of the TVA. Ms. Marvel appears in the same video in a nod to Disney's newest cruise, Disney Wish. Rocket Raccoon, Ant-Man, and Ms. Marvel appear in the queue video for Avengers Assemble: Flight Force at Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris. Kirsten Acuna/Insider One of the biggest surprises is that Ms. Marvel appears in the Force Flight queue video. Not only is it a direct connection to her Disney+ show, but Ms. Marvel's cameo is a reference to her appearance on the new Disney Wish cruise, connecting Marvel stories across Disney experiences so they don't feel random and singular. In the same video clip, Iron Man refers to Sam Wilson as Captain America. The red wine at Pym Kitchen comes bottled in a glass particle tube that you'll want to take a close look at. The label of the Brouilly at Pym Kitchen showcases the wine's molecule. Kirsten Acuna/Insider The label on the tube showcases the molecule for the wine. Ant-Man's daughter, Cassie Lang, is mentioned on the place mat at Pym Kitchen. Cassie Lang's name can be spotted at the bottom of the place mat at Pym Kitchen. Kirsten Acuna/Insider In the comics, Scott Lang's daughter eventually becomes a hero named Stinger aka Ant-Girl. Two signs in Pym Kitchen humorously warn guests to use Pym Particles responsibly. When you enter Pym Kitchen, make a left and then another left to find these signs. Kirsten Acuna/Insider Ant-Man uses Pym Particles to shrink or grow large. Two signs in the Pym Kitchen restaurant seating area tell guests to not use the enlarging Pym Particle inside a building, illustrating that they'll need a roof repair. The second image hilariously warns guests not to use the shrinking Pym Particle near wildlife or they may become bird chow. Black Panther and Black Widow's gear can be found hanging in a display cage in Stark Factory. How to find it: When you walk into Stark Factory, take a left into the next room and then make a right and the display cage will be on the wall in front of you. Kirsten Acuna/Insider During a Walt Disney Imagineering panel on the creation of Avengers Campus, Bjorn Heerwagen, director of show design and production, told press, including Insider, that the gear in the display case will be rotated out when new films come out. "We wanted to put the prop cages in to do a shout-out to the films, but it also means that as films come out we can change our props so that our fans can kind of go, 'Oh that's come in there from this film,'" Heerwagen said. Peggy Carter has an office inside Stark Factory filled with Easter eggs. Make sure you go into the Stark Factory to find Peggy Carter's office. Kirsten Acuna/Insider A photo of Steve Rogers hangs up in Peggy Carter's office along with Agent Carter's iconic red hat and Captain America's original shield. The filing cabinets behind Peggy's desk reference other Avengers Campuses, Marvel characters, test cases, and more. One of the two Peggy Carter filing cabinets in the Stark Factory. Kirsten Acuna/Insider The 16 drawers on the first filing cabinet on the left reference Howard Stark inventions and research, Project Rebirth (the Super Soldier project), Steve Rogers case files, Winter Soldier intel, Red Room ("Black Widow") intel, Hydra intel, research by Dr. Zola and Dr. Erskine, vibranium and Tesseract test studies, and files and test subjects for Project Paperclip (referenced in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"). The 18 drawers on the second filing cabinet reference other Avengers Campus locations, including the Paris one, and Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) archives. Most interesting are two drawers labeled "Active Missions: Hong Kong" and "Active Missions: Shanghai," referencing areas at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland. Both parks contain Marvel attractions. There are also drawers referencing a Valkyrie plane case archive ("Thor" franchise), Red Skull, and Camp Lehigh. Avengers Campus' art director Beth Clapperton can be spotted on the land's Fan-tastic food truck. Photos of Clapperton can be seen on the side and back of the truck. Kirsten Acuna/Insider "The producer of Avengers Campus thought it would be fun if I pose as the fictional owner of that food truck," Clapperton told me during an interview inside Avengers Campus. "I am an Avengers fan and I have gone around the world and I have taken selfies of myself in certain Avengers iconic spots," Clapperton added. On the truck, you can find eight different photos of Clapperton along the side and back of the truck. She and the food truck have visited California's Avengers Campus, the Stark tower, Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, and New Asgard (which appears in "Thor: Love and Thunder"). The Fan-tastic Food truck is filled with other Easter eggs, including nods to the Stark Expo. Stark Expo stickers at Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris Kirsten Acuna/Insider, Marvel Studios The Stark Expo, a celebration of technology of the future based on the 1964 World's Fair, was an event featured in "Iron Man 2." Various Stark Expo stickers on the truck reference the 1954 and 1974 Stark Expos. Hong Kong Disneyland's upcoming Avengers Campus is supposed to be in the theme of the Stark Expo. Look at the front of the truck and you'll spot Tony Stark's license plate from "The Avengers." Inside Fan-tastic Food truck at Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris. Kirsten Acuna/Insider Make sure to look inside the passenger window to spot even more items. A Spider-Man backpack, a Captain America shield pillow, and Pop Funkos (Rocket, Groot, Cling, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Thanos) line the driver's seat and dashboard. A hat featuring Rocket Raccoon can be seen in front of the steering wheel. Other Marvel nods you can find on the truck include the Hawkeye logo, a mention of the Mark 5 Iron Man armor, Mary Jane Watson's band called The Mary Janes, and Cosmo the Space Dog (appeared briefly in "Guardians of the Galaxy"). The names of people who worked on Avengers Campus can be spotted in the Spider-Man WEB Adventure ride queue. Spider-Man WEB Adventure time cards at Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris Kirsten Acuna/Insider When you pass by the area that asks Stark employees to stamp their time cards, take a close look at the time cards on the wall to spot names of Disney employees. Insider spotted Walt Disney Imagineering art directors Keith Rector and Beth Clapperton and show design and production manager Emma Yeates. The Department of Damage Control is referenced on boxes hanging high in Avengers Campus. You need to look up to find some of the Marvel nods in Avengers Campus. Kirsten Acuna/Insider Originally created by the US government and Stark Industries to help with superhero battle clean-ups, the group evolved into a law enforcement agency that rounds up super-powered individuals and collects dangerous objects. The DODC recently appeared on "Ms. Marvel," trying to apprehend the young hero. An ad at the very back of Avengers Campus for Stark Motors contains the year 1955. You can find this on the back wall if you sit outside at the Super Diner. Kirsten Acuna/Insider 1955 is the year Disneyland opened in California. There's a variation of this poster for the car of the future seen inside the Spider-Man WEB Adventure attraction. A Shawarma Palace sticker can be found on the truck as well. Shawarma Palace sticker at Avengers Campus at Disneyland Paris. Kirsten Acuna/Insider, Marvel Studios The Avengers went out for shawarma at the end of 2012's "The Avengers." There are also two shawarma carts inside Disney California Adventure's Avengers Campus. A sticker of Lucky the Pizza Dog from "Hawkeye" can be found on the WEB food truck. A sticker for Lucky can be found on the WEB food truck. Kirsten Acuna/Insider He's the dog that Kate Bishop took in on "Hawkeye." Read the original article on Insider From left: Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. All voted against Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Eighteen Republican lawmakers in a Monday vote opposed Finland and Sweden joining NATO. The vote passed easily, but "nay" voters included several far-right GOP members. The House vote was symbolic; the US portion of the approval process takes place in the Senate. Eighteen Republican lawmakers voted against the US allowing Finland and Sweden to join NATO. Among the dissenters in the Monday vote were some of the party's furthest-right members, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. The vote was a symbolic one to express support from the House for the applications the formal process by which the US can ratify new NATO members takes place in the Senate. The House bill passed easily with 394 votes, leaving the 18 Republicans in a small minority even among their own party. Here is the full list: Andy Biggs (AZ) Dan Bishop (NC) Lauren Boebert (CO) Madison Cawthorn (NC) Ben Cline (VA) Michael Cloud (TX) Warren Davidson (OH) Matt Gaetz (FL) Bob Good (VA) Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) H. Morgan Griffith (VA) Thomas Massie (KY) Tom McClintock (CA) Mary E. Miller (IL) Ralph Norman (SC) Matthew M. Rosendale Sr. (MT) Chip Roy (TX) Jefferson Van Drew (NJ) Nineteen US lawmakers 17 Republicans and two Democrats didn't vote. Finland and Sweden applied in mid-May, turning away from decades of neutrality in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Both countries have an uneasy proximity to Russia. Each of the 30 NATO member states must approve the addition of any members. The US portion of that is driven the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has yet to decide formally but had been urged strongly by the White House to give quick approval. Finland has a long land border with Russia and repelled a brutal Soviet invasion in a 1940s conflict known as the Winter War. NATO formally invited the countries to join at the end of June, saying it would fast-track the process. Once a country is in NATO, all other members of the alliance are obliged to go to war if it is invaded. Story continues The move has proved infuriating to President Vladimir Putin, who had cited his opposition to NATO expansion as one reason for invading Ukraine in the first place. (Ukraine was also seeking NATO membership, but it didn't have access to the faster process given to Sweden and Finland.) The 18 no votes are another sign of the ongoing pro-Russia shift in the right of the party ignited by Donald Trump. Gaetz, Greene, and Boebert are among GOP members who repeatedly voted against US military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. They also are among the 63 Republicans who, in April, voted against a resolution expressing support for NATO and its "founding democratic principles." Greene, Gaetz, and Kentucky's Thomas Massie were the only three representatives who opposed moves in April to restrict trade with Russia. Editor's note: Shortly after publication this story was updated to clarify that the House vote was symbolic and not part of the formal ratification process. A reference to lawmakers voting to "block" Sweden and Finland from joining NATO was amended to instead say they voted "against" the process. Read the original article on Business Insider A 3-year-old died after her 16-year-old sister used a pillow to quiet her down, Florida officials said. Now, the older girl faces a manslaughter charge, according to the Altamonte Springs Police Department. Officers said the 16-year-old was responsible for watching the younger girl while their mom worked remotely from the Orlando area on Friday, July 15. The mother reportedly had told the teen to keep her sister quiet while she was on the phone. The 3-year-old was quiet for about 10 minutes before the mom discovered she was unresponsive, police said in an arrest report. The child was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Preliminary information shows the teen placed a pillow over her sister to quiet her down, and there was enough probable cause to arrest her, officials wrote in a July 18 news release. Its very tragic, its a 3-year-old, a very young, young child, Officer Michelle Montalvo said, according to WESH. Sixteen-year-old is also young. A mother loses both daughters in one night because the 16-year-old was arrested that night. Officers responded at about 6 p.m. to a report of a child not breathing at the MainStay Suites in Altamonte Springs, roughly 10 miles north of Orlando. The girls mom had been working from a bedroom in the extended stay hotel while her daughters were in the living room. An investigation continues, and anyone with information is urged to contact police at 407-339-2441 or call 911. Son killed father over car keys, Florida cops say. Body found after missing 5 days AccuWeather From a trickle of water running between rocks in a dry, barren, mountainside landscape to a roaring river in a matter of mere minutes: Monsoon floods in the Southwest escalate quickly. Each summer, Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer, who may be best known for chasing tornadoes, goes on "flash flood chases" in which he aims to capture the moment that the rainwaters transform the parched landscape into a dangerous wall of water. A dramatic video recently captured by Timmer perfectly illustrated the LONDON (AP) The fractious race to replace Boris Johnson as Britains prime minister entered an unpredictable endgame Tuesday as three candidates for Conservative Party leader were left battling for the two spots in a run-off vote. Kemi Badenoch, a previously little-known lawmaker who has become a rising star of the partys right wing, was eliminated from the contest after receiving the fewest votes from Conservative lawmakers in their fourth round of voting. After the latest vote knocked Badenoch out, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak led the shrinking field of candidates and had all but secured his place in the final pair. Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who were neck and neck behind him, will now scramble to woo Badenoch's supporters before a final elimination vote on Wednesday. All are running to succeed Johnson, who quit as party leader this month after snowballing ethics scandals sparked mass resignations in his government. The two finalists will go to a runoff vote by all 180,000 members of the Conservative Party, with a winner expected to be announced Sept. 5. Sunak got 118 votes on Tuesday, two short of the number that would guarantee he is one of the two candidates Conservative members can choose. Mordaunt received 92 votes, Truss 86 and Badenoch 59. The remaining candidates are also courting supporters of Tom Tugendhat, an influential lawmaker who was eliminated from the contest on Monday. Both Mordaunt and Badenoch tweeted praise for Tugendhat after Mondays vote. Truss promised to increase military spending from 2% to 3% of gross domestic product a key issue for Tugendhat, a former soldier who chairs the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. The bitter campaign has exposed deep divisions in the Conservative Party at the end of Johnsons scandal-tarnished reign. Opponents have rounded on Sunak for raising taxes in response to the economic damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Sunak has hit back that his rivals are peddling economic fairy tales. Story continues In a contest where every vote counts, the electorate of 358 Conservative legislators was reduced Tuesday to 357. Tobias Ellwood, a Johnson critic who supports Mordaunt, was suspended from the party group in Parliament for failing to vote in a confidence motion on Monday. The government easily won the vote thanks to a big Conservative majority, but Ellwood was punished for not cutting short a trip to Moldova to return for it. Ellwood, who heads Parliaments Defense Committee, said he had been unable to return due to unprecedented disruption both here and in the U.K., where a heat wave is adding to summer travel chaos. I am very sorry to lose the whip but will now continue my meetings in Ukraine promoting the prime ministers efforts here and specifically seeking to secure the reopening of Odesa port so vital grain exports can recommence, Ellwood said. ___ Follow all of APs coverage of British politics at https://apnews.com/hub/boris-johnson Were knee-deep in summer and some of us are anticipating our beach getaways and European excursions coming up within the next couple of weeks. All the major news outlets are telling us how hectic flights are at every major airport in the world. But youve put in your days at work and youre getting pumped to hit that island destination anyway. Travel Noire wants to give you a heads up on what to expect once you arrive at your favorite airport. Here are five reasons why catching flights now has us catching feelings. Pricing & Refunds Getty Images Ever since the COVID-19 mandates have been lifted theres been a spike in airline ticket prices. Unfortunately, the service isnt reflective of what were paying for. Not to mention, refund policies have become stricter than those of the previous year. You can forget about asking for refunds when it comes to third-party sites such as Kayak or eDreams, and economy airlines such as Frontier and Spirit also have surcharges for last-minute ticket changes that make it cheaper to just buy a whole new ticket. Switching dates on your airline tickets come with astronomical fees, in many cases, it would be in your favor to click YES to insurance on your ticket purchases. Airlines Enforcing No Show Policy Adobe Stock Lets say on your European excursion ending in Italy, you decide to stay a little longer on a stopover in Lisbon without notifying your airline, they will automatically cancel all of your tickets within that flight itinerary and you would need to purchase your connecting and returning flights all over again. Also, take into consideration you will not be eligible for a refund on any of the flights that were automatically canceled. Make sure to read the Contract of Carriage section in the fine print of your airline ticket purchases to learn more about each individual airlines No Show policy. Tarmac Delays Daniel Slim In recent months, whether youre coming or going, many airlines are taking longer to take off from the airport or let passengers off the plane upon arriving. The worst feeling is to finally arrive at your destination and not be able to get off the plane for a whole hour or two, in some cases even three! Story continues Mishandled Baggage Adobe Stock A frequent flyers worst nightmare is the airline completely losing your checked luggage. According to the Department of Transportation, there have been nearly 220,000 cases of lost, damaged, or delayed luggage out of the 40 million bags the airlines have come across this year. Flight Cancellations Adobe Stock Of course, flight cancellations have always been a constant possibility when it comes to traveling during severe weather conditions. But recently the main cause of cancellations has been the lack of staff available at airlines. Since COVID-19, many airline employees have pursued other endeavors and have not returned to work since the pandemic. Now as the mandates have been lifted theres been an increase in customers, which has created a challenge for airlines to handle the workload with such a short staff in place. Dont let all the misfortunes get you down. If you come across any of these issues upon traveling or going on your vacation you can contact the Department of Transportation to make a complaint. You can also visit their website to learn more about troubleshooting airline issues from your latest trips. Related: European And U.K. Airports Are Pure Chaos Due To Massive Staff Shortages The pandemic years have taken a dramatic toll on the nations public schools, according to data from the Institute of Educational Sciences, affecting staffing, students behavior, attendance, nutrition, and mental health. There was a lot of disruption in actually providing quality instruction to students whether it is access to a teacher, a live teacher, or the mode of learning was chaotic and vacillating, and it varied by race and ethnicity, said Commissioner Peggy Carr of the National Center for Education Statistics, an arm of the institute. This is an important way to understand the impact of the pandemic on our country. Sign up here for The 74s daily newsletter. Donate here to support The 74's independent journalism. The School Pulse Panel is a series of surveys from January 2022 through May 2022 measuring COVID-19s impact on public education. The surveys were sent to 800-850 public schools, with principals, administrators, superintendents, and staff responding. Here are some takeaways from IESs School Pulse Panel: 1. COVID-19 negatively affected students development A May 2022 survey found more than 80% of public schools reported stunted behavioral and socioemotional development in their students because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 56% increase in classroom disruptions from student misconduct, and a 49% increase in rowdiness outside of the classroom. All schools surveyed reported a 55% increase in student tardiness. The use of cell phones, computers, or other electronics when not permitted for all schools increased by 42%. 2. Chronic teacher and student absenteeism has increased Student and teacher absenteeism in the 2021-2022 school year increased in comparison to school years before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2021-2022 school year 61% of public schools also reported it is much more difficult to find substitute teachers; and that 74% reported having administrators cover classes. 71% reported having non-teaching staff cover classes. 68% reported having other teachers cover classes during their prep periods. 51% reported separate sections and classes combined into one room. Story continues Carr said she had heard from colleagues in Boston and Florida school districts that because of staffing shortages, superintendents had to return to classrooms to teach because it was so bad. I had heard that, but to see it in a nationally representative sample of schools that prevalent, is sobering. Carr also said COVID quarantines are a factor in student absenteeism. It is normal to have students out because of quarantine, so when we talk about student absenteeism, its not all just because a student is just out, sometimes it is that theyve been quarantined because of COVID, she said. Thats part of the new normal. 3. There is a greater need for mental health services among students and staff. 70% of public schools reported that the percentage of students who have sought mental health services increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; and that 34% of public school students seeking out mental health services more than others were economically disadvantaged students. The second highest percentage (25%) of public schools who sought out mental health services more than others were special needs students (25%). The teachers are having a rough timetoo, is what these data are showing, Carr said. 29% of public schools reported that the degree to which staff have sought mental health services from the school since the start of COVID-19 has increased. They are overworked, they dont have the staff there to help them, teachers are quitting. They are having to teach courses they have not taught before. All of these things culminate into an unhealthy work environment for the teachers, she said. 4. Public schools face barriers to getting students the mental health services they need. Most public schools (61%) said a limitation was insufficient mental health professional staff coverage to manage caseload, 57% of the schools said it was inadequate access to licensed mental health professionals, and 48% said inadequate funding. A licensed professional is expensive, Carr said. Too few professionals are available in these schools to actually provide those services and inadequate access to licensed professionals that can really provide the level of quality of services that they need. 5. Schools changed their calendars to support students and staff Nearly one third of the schools 28% surveyed reported making changes to their daily or yearly academic calendar to mitigate potential mental health issues for students and staff. In early July, a California law went into effect to make high school and middle classes start no earlier than 8:30am. New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts lawmakers have had similar discussions about making school start times later. 6. Most schools are in-person By May 2022, most schools 99% were offering full-time in-person instruction, a slight increase from January when it was 97%, the survey found. In January, 40% of all public schools also offered a full-time remote option, which decreased to 34% in February, 33% in March, April, and May, the survey found. 7. School Breakfast and Meal Programs faced challenges. Nearly 40% of the schools that operate USDA school and breakfast meal programs, reported challenges obtaining enough food, beverages, and/or meal service supplies. The top three most reported reasons for these challenges were limited product availability, shipment delays, orders arriving with missing items, reduced quantities, or product substitutions. I think we are continuing to be surprised by the range of experiences that schools are having to deal with as a result of COVID. It hasnt subsided, Carr said. It is not over yet is what I believe these data are saying. Jul. 18AUSTIN Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement on Monday afternoon about the Texas House of Representatives' investigative report into the shooting at Robb Elementary School: "I want to thank Speaker Phelan and the Texas House for their investigation and for sharing a detailed account directly with the victims' families and the Uvalde community. The findings in their investigative report are beyond disturbing and raise serious concerns about the response that day. There are critical changes needed as a result of the Texas House's findings. With multiple investigations still ongoing, including those by the Texas Senate, FBI, and Texas Rangers, we will begin working with the legislature to develop and implement the necessary changes to improve public safety, school safety, and mental health assessment and treatment." Abbott has taken action to provide all available resources to support the Uvalde community following the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School. Those actions include: >> Initiating the State of Texas' comprehensive plan to assist and support members of the community, including co-locating state agency representatives to the Family Assistance Center for on-hand assistance in finding benefits. >> Investing an initial $5 million to establish a long-term Family Resiliency Center in Uvalde County to serve as a hub for community services, including access to critical mental health resources. >> Working with the OneStar Foundation to create a one-stop webpage for donations to support the victims' families, teachers, and the Uvalde community. >> Directing the Health and Human Services Commission to ensure all children in Uvalde have access to behavioral health resources and community support. >> Providing $105.5 million to enhance school safety and mental health services in Uvalde and throughout Texas. >> Issuing a disaster declaration to accelerate all available state and local resources to assist the Uvalde community. Story continues >> Requesting Texas legislative leaders convene special legislative committees to begin examining and developing legislative recommendations on school safety, mental health, social media, police training, firearm safety, and more. Directing the Texas School Safety Center to begin immediately conducting comprehensive school safety reviews to ensure all Texas public schools are following the appropriate procedures to maximize school safety. >> Directing the Texas Education Agency to provide strategies to make Texas public schools safer through heightened safety standards. >> Instructing the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training programs to provide training to all school districts across the state, prioritizing school-based law enforcement. >> Directing TEA, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Department of Public Safety to expand and accelerate the ability to report suspicious activity through the iWatchTexas reporting system. >> Directing TEA to create a new Chief of School Safety and Security position within the agency. Urging the Texas District & County Attorneys Association to increase lie-and-try prosecutions of people who lie on information provided for gun background checks. CHICAGO Miracle Boyd held onto the bullhorn, twirling the cord as she waited for her fellow protesters to finish their chants for justice. Then she made sure her voice boomed enough to project across the noisy Loop street. Growing up, I lost more than 10 more than 10 of my classmates to gun violence. I got an uncle who was killed in 2012 to gun violence. What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? Boyd asked the crowd, her ponytail swinging back and forth. We cant keep living these tragedies and investing in these punitive systems. Boyds mention of punitive systems was one of many digs at law enforcement during a July 6 rally in Chicago to condemn the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man by Akron, Ohio, police. The protest took place two days after the mass shooting in Highland Park; it was also near the two-year anniversary of the day a Chicago officer punched Boyd during the infamous Columbus statue protest in Grant Park one of several tense demonstrations during a summer that saw cries for racial justice reach a crescendo. The officer involved recently resigned, it emerged last week. For Boyd, not much has changed since; she still tries to make it to every protest. Once there, she repeats the same demand shes had the past couple years: Pass the Peace Book ordinance now. Spearheaded by a South Side-based youth activist group that Boyd belongs to called Good Kids Mad City, the Peace Book idea cropped up about four years ago, and its current iteration calls for 2% of the Chicago police budget to be reallocated to peace initiatives that do not involve law enforcement or incarceration. The proposal was recently introduced in the Chicago City Council by a bloc of progressive aldermen, but supporters are frustrated by what they say is a lack of buy-in after multiple meetings between the organizers and Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration. We keep talking about youth and youth violence, and here we have something that the youth have come up with on their own, and were just stonewalling them, South Side Ald. Leslie Hairston, who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a phone interview. Thats not progress. Story continues After Highland Park, activists say Chicago gun violence matters, too Good Kids Mad City, a riff off rapper Kendrick Lamars album good kid, m.A.A.d city, was started in 2018 after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, propelled a new generation of students into gun control activism. The budding activists who hailed from the South and West sides sought to ensure the national conversation on gun violence did not overlook Chicago, where the prevalence of gunfire is entrenched in the citys narrative yet rarely garners as much sympathy as shootings in whiter, wealthier areas. The student activists from Parkland supported them. Four years later and on the heels of the deadly Highland Park mass shooting, Illinois worst in recent history it remains to be seen whether that aspiration can be fulfilled. Chicago Ald. Jeanette Taylor, 20th, said she is praying for the families grappling with grief and trauma after the Fourth of July massacre in the northern suburb. But she notes her South Side ward, which includes the troubled Parkway Gardens housing complex, gets little attention for its shootings. Thats a wealthy (city), Taylor said about Highland Park. Of course it was going to get that attention. Its going to get all the resources thats needed. And then were just left to, Oh, thats the norm in Chicago. It happens, be OK with it. Its problematic for me. The so-called Peace Book legislation outlines a structure of peace commissions for various neighborhoods where youth-led anti-violence organizations would be tapped to negotiate resolutions to conflict and provide enrichment to the community. The task forces would be launched in the following areas for a year before expanding: Bronzeville, Washington Park, Woodlawn, Austin, North Lawndale, Humboldt Park, South Lawndale, West Englewood, New City, Englewood, Chicago Lawn, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Gresham, South Shore and Roseland. The requirements for being a full-time commissioner who would earn at least the median salary of a Chicago police officer vary. They include possessing knowledge about the courts, Chicago street culture, factions and connections to Black and brown communities, as well as having lived experiences related to both police violence and intercommunal violence. A separate citywide peace commission would be composed of select participants of the neighborhood groups. Can Peace Book get on the books? Hours after activists and aldermen held a City Hall news conference to roll out their long-awaited Peace Book legislation last month, Lightfoot ally Ald. Derrick Curtis, 18th, blocked it from advancing by sending it to the Rules Committee, where proposals can sometimes stall. Hairston said she confronted him afterward, telling him: Youre hurting your own community. Both of them are Black. Curtis told the Chicago Tribune he made that maneuver by accident and his support for the Peace Book is a no-brainer. That wasnt the one I actually tried to call out, but it happened, and it was actually a mistake because I am actually for what they were doing, Curtis said. Curtis said Rules Committee chair Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th, signaled to him shed move the Peace Book ordinance forward, but she did not respond to requests for comment from the Tribune. Lightfoot did not react to Curtis move but deflected further discussion about the ordinance. I think we have to dig into the details, Lightfoot said in a news conference that day. Weve been in frequent conversation with a number of different supporters of the Peace Book. I think theres some things within that that we are aligned on, and well continue to work in concert with them to see if we can come to some kind of agreement. That didnt jibe with Peace Book supporters understanding of how the mayors staff has reacted to their overtures. But Hairston and Taylor simply challenged the mayor to come to the table and work out the differences. Lightfoot is a firm opponent of the defund the police movement that made its way through Chicago protests two years ago, so its questionable whether she would support even a slight divestment from the police department. Proposal also sees 2023 election buzz At least three declared candidates in next years mayoral election have also thrown full support behind the Peace Book: state Rep. Kam Buckner; 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer, another co-sponsor of the City Council legislation; and community activist JaMal Green. Despite many activists opposition to increasing law enforcement spending, though, both candidates said they dont think the proposal to spend 2% of the police budget on the peace initiative should stop the city from also boosting the departments funding. Buckner told the Tribune that growing up in Morgan Park on the Far South Side, he experienced being racially profiled by police and also losing relatives to gun violence. He knew neighbors who were accused of crimes and those who were victims of crimes. Its all part of a cycle of harm, he said, that cant only be addressed with policing. Thats why he said he believes in the Peace Book. For many of these folks, I saw them as young people who were bright and who had great potential and a zest for life, but somewhere along the line, something went wrong, Buckner said. We got to give our young people a fighting chance to be productive members of society. Nathan Bridges, a 17-year-old member of Good Kids Mad City, agreed. The soft-spoken teen from Bronzeville was at the July 6 protest downtown and said he thinks its up to the youth to stem the violence by fighting for more resources, starting with the Peace Book. I believe that theres a lot of people out there that dont want to necessarily gangbang no more; a lot of people that want peace, Bridges said before the rally. And theres a small few that still want to do the gun violence every day. I feel like we can stop that. phone with 5 stars Amazon is taking legal action against the administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups, the BBC has learned. It says the groups are generating fake reviews on Amazon marketplaces in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan. The tech giant says the groups offer money or free goods in exchange for reviews being posted on Amazon. One of the groups, removed earlier this year by Facebook's parent company Meta, had 43,000 members. It was called "Amazon Product Review". Once the people in the group had purchased selected products and left their reviews, the administrators would refund them. A wide range of goods was involved, including car stereos and camera tripods. Large numbers of reviews, especially positive ones, boost sellers' visibility on Amazon's platforms - as well as placing them higher up on search engine results. Amazon sellers can legitimately pay for services that promise to boost their ratings online, without necessarily knowing that this will be carried out in the form of fake reviews. 'Refund after review' The group admins disguised key phrases that would otherwise have been flagged by Meta's automated tools designed to seek out rule-breaking, Amazon said. One example shared was a Facebook post offering "R*fnd Aftr R*vew" (refund after review). Around half of the groups were taken down by Meta once they were reported by Amazon. However, Amazon told the BBC the administrators of all of them were being targeted. "Pro-active legal action targeting bad actors is one of many ways we protect customers by holding bad actors accountable," said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon vice president of selling partner services. The legal action has been filed at a court in Washington King County, near Amazon's Seattle headquarters. Meta said in a statement: "Groups that solicit or encourage fake reviews violate our policies and are removed. We are working with Amazon on this matter and will continue to partner across the industry to address spam and fake reviews." Earlier this year Amazon pursued four companies it accused of deliberately flooding its shopping platform with fake reviews. Under new proposals currently under consideration in the UK it would become illegal to pay someone to write or host fake reviews. By Randi Love (Reuters) - They're planning days around air conditioning in Oklahoma, monitoring the grid in Texas and keeping an eye out for sharks as they try to cool off in New York. Across the United States, Americans have been enduring in some cases dangerously high heat that meteorologists say will last into next week. More than 100 million people are living under excessive warnings or heat advisories this week, according to the National Weather Service. In Oklahoma City, where a high of 110 Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) was predicted Tuesday, Colin Newman, 40, said it hits like "dragon's breath" when he steps outside, even in the early hours. "We plan our days around getting from one air-conditioned place to another," he said. New Yorkers, meanwhile, are expected to venture to the beaches to cool off. New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered additional shark monitoring off Long Island, where sharks injured three people this month. Rockaway beaches in Queens were closed to swimmers Tuesday afternoon after a reported shark sighting, according to a New York Police Department tweet. The excessive heat in the United States comes hot on the heels of a heat wave in Europe this week, which has seen wildfires and record temperatures in the kind of weather event that scientists say will become more frequent with climate change. At least - unlike in Europe - many American homes have air conditioning. Power use in Texas is expected to break records again this week as homes and businesses crank up their air conditioners, the state's power grid operator projected on Monday. For those without easy access to air conditioning in New York, the New York City Fire Department said cooling centers have opened in libraries, community centers and other city buildings and that it on request is installing spray caps on fire hydrants. In the city, transportation workers were taking precautions such as drinking plenty of water, said Celeste Kirkland, a Transport Workers Union Local 100 subway safety team lead. Story continues "We're working in some of the hottest places you can think of," she said. In Florida's Port St. Lucie, 52-year-old resident Lisa Kessler was avoiding all outdoor activity until the sun goes down. "Florida is like getting a hug from a hot bowl of soup," she said. Inside Death Valley National Park in California the village of Stovepipe Wells is expected to hit 119 degrees Fahrenheit (48C) on Tuesday. But Death Valley is one of the hottest places on Earth and Park Ranger Nico Ramirez said that temperature is normal for this time of year. He likened the local way of coping to how people handle the extreme cold in cooler climes. "We hibernate in the heat," he said. "I have a PlayStation and Wi-Fi. If I'm not working, I'm home with my Wi-Fi and music and games." (Reporting by Randi Love in New York. Additional reporting by Rich McKay, Tyler Clifford and Andrew Hay. Editing by Donna Bryson and Rosalba O'Brien) By Satoshi Sugiyama, Sam Nussey and Ju-min Park NARA, Japan (Reuters) - Bodyguards could have saved Shinzo Abe if they shielded him or removed him from the line of fire in the 2.5 seconds between a missed first shot and a second round of gunfire that fatally wounded him, according to eight security experts who reviewed footage of the former Japanese leader's assassination. The failure to protect Abe from the second shot followed what appeared to be a series of security lapses in the lead-up to the assassination of Japan's longest-serving prime minister on July 8, the Japanese and international experts said. Abe's killing in the western city of Nara by a man using a homemade weapon shocked a nation where gun violence is rare and politicians campaign up close to the public with light security. Japanese authorities including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida - have acknowledged security lapses, and police say they are investigating. In addition to the security experts, Reuters spoke to six witnesses at the scene and examined multiple videos available online, taken from different angles, to piece together a detailed account of security measures ahead of his shooting. After leaving 67-year-old Abe exposed from behind as he spoke on a traffic island on a public road, his security detail allowed the shooter identified by police as Tetsuya Yamagami, 41 to come within metres of Abe unchecked, carrying a weapon, the footage showed. "They should have seen the attacker very deliberately walking towards the rear of the prime minister and intervened," said Kenneth Bombace, head of Global Threat Solutions, which provided security to Joe Biden when he was a presidential candidate. Yamagami came within around 7 metres (23 feet) of Abe before firing his first shot, which missed, the Yomiuri newspaper said, citing investigative sources. He fired the second shot, which hit, at around 5 metres away, it said. Abe's bodyguards did not appear to have "concentric rings of security" around him, said John Soltys, a former Navy SEAL and CIA officer now a vice president at security firm Prosegur. "They didn't have any kind of surveillance in the crowd." Story continues Asked about the experts analysis, the Nara Prefectural Police, in charge of security for Abe's campaign stop, told Reuters in a statement the department was "committed to thoroughly identifying the security problems" with Abe's protection, declining to comment further. The video footage showed that, after the first shot, Abe turns and looks over his left shoulder. Two bodyguards scramble to get between him and the shooter, one hoisting a slim black bag. Two others head toward the shooter, who moves closer through the smoke. Although Abe's security tackled the assailant moments later and arrested him, it was the "wrong response" for some of the security to go after the shooter instead of moving to protect Abe, said Mitsuru Fukuda, a Nihon University professor specialising in crisis management and terrorism. There was enough security, "but no sense of danger," said Yasuhiro Sasaki, a retired police officer in Saitama prefecture near Tokyo who handled security for VIPs. "Everyone was startled and no one went to where Abe was." The Tokyo police, in charge of VIP politicians' bodyguards, referred questions to the Nara police. The National Police Agency, which oversees local police forces, said Abes killing was the result of the police failing to fulfil their responsibility and said it had set up a team to review security and protection measures and to consider concrete steps to prevent such a serious incident from recurring. "We recognise that there were problems not only in the on-site response, such as the security and protection set-up, deployment of personnel and fundamental security procedures, but also in the way the National Police Agency was involved, it said in response to Reuters questions. Reuters could not reach Yamagami, who remains in police custody, for comment and could not determine whether he had a lawyer. 'COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED' Footage shows four bodyguards inside the guardrails as Abe spoke, according to Koichi Ito, a former sergeant at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's special assault team, now a security consultant. Their number was corroborated by local politician Masahiro Okuni, who was at the scene. When the former prime minister stepped up to speak, Yamagami could be seen in video footage in the background, clapping. As Yamagami walked up behind Abe, security did not appear to take action, the footage showed. Abe should have had a dedicated close protection bodyguard to get him away, said a member of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, which protects senior diplomats and foreign dignitaries. "We would grab him by the belt and collar, shield him with our body and move away," the agent said. Katsuhiko Ikeda, former superintendent general of the Tokyo police who ran security for Japan's Group of Eight summits in 2000 and 2008, said the situation would have developed very differently if Abes security detail had been close enough to reach him in a second or two. Ito, the former police sergeant, said security could have stopped the first shot had they been vigilant and communicating. "Even if they missed that, there was a more than two-second window before the second shot, so they definitely could have prevented that," he said. "If Abe had been protected properly, it could have been avoided." (Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama in Nara, Sam Nussey in Tokyo and Ju-min Park in Seoul; Additional reporting by Tim Kelly, Rocky Swift, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Nobuhiro Kubo, David Dolan and Yukiko Toyoda; Writing by Sam Nussey; Editing by David Dolan and William Mallard) Several Democratic members of Congress were arrested after protesting for abortion rights at the Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon. The U.S. Capitol Police tweeted that "demonstrators" blocked a street, prompting officers to issue "three standard warnings" before making arrests. Police shared an update roughly an hour later and said that 35 people were arrested "for Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding," including 17 members of congress. According to CNN, protestors were seen wearing "Won't Back Down" bandanas while fighting for abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion last month. They began their protest at the Capitol before heading to the Supreme Court. After ignoring police's commands to "cease and desist" the protesters were arrested while stating, "The people, united, will never be divided." Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, is arrested outside the US Supreme Court during a protest of the court overturning Roe v. Wade in Washington, D.C., US, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. The high court's reversal of the 1973 landmark decision protecting the federal right to abortion has sent shock waves through the medical, legal and advocacy communities with the White House signing an executive order intended to preserve access to the procedure. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Members of Congress who were arrested include Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Barbara Lee of California, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Cori Bush of Missouri, Carolyn Maloney of New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Alma Adams of North Carolina, per several outlets. RELATED: Oklahoma Town's First Openly Gay Mayor Resigns After Harassment, Threats: 'I No Longer Feel Safe to Serve' UNITED STATES - JULY 19: Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., attends a sit-it outside of the Supreme Court with members of Congress to protest the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images/) Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Sharing footage on her Instagram Story, AOC wrote, "Today I got to scratch 'Get Arrested with Barbara Lee' off my bucket list #BansOffOurBodies @repbarbaralee." politicians arrested. AOC AOC/Instagram She later let her supporters know, "We're all good and made it back in time for votes." For more on this abortion rights protest, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. Alongside a powerful video of her walking with her fellow protestors and chanting "bans off our bodies," Omar wrote, "Today I put my body on the line and got arrested outside the Supreme Court to protest the court taking away our reproductive rights. Serious times call for serious action." Story continues RELATED: Who Are Matthew Pottinger and Sarah Matthews? 2 Former White House Aides Will Testify at Next Jan. 6 Hearing She also posted a follow-up video of herself walking in handcuffs while an officer walked swiftly behind her. She captioned that footage, "Today I was arrested while participating in a civil disobedience action with my fellow Members of Congress outside the Supreme Court. I will continue to do everything in my power to raise the alarm about the assault on our reproductive rights! " Tlaib captioned a video of the arrest on her Instagram feed, "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect abortion rightseven if it means getting arrested. I joined my Democratic Women's Caucus colleagues in a civil disobedience action outside the Supreme Court. We won't go back!" Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Pressley also addressed the incident in a press release via her website. "This Supreme Court has been relentless in stripping away our reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, but we're not backing down," she said. "Today, we put our bodies on the line to defend abortion rights because the stakes in this fight could not be higher. Due to the cruelty and callousness of this Court, millions of people now face insurmountable barriers to abortion care and the health of our most vulnerableespecially our Black, brown, low-income, disabled, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ siblingsis now further at risk." Pressley continued, "I'm grateful to all of the advocates on the frontline of this fight who led us in peaceful protest today and have been leading this movement for generations. Abortion rights are human rights, and we won't stop fighting until our policies and budgets reflect that fundamental truth." RELATED VIDEO: House of Representatives Passes Bills to Protect Access to Abortion After Roe v. Wade Is Overturned She also shared footage of the protest and arrests on her Instagram page, writing, "Abortion rights are human rights and I'm not letting up in this fight." Maloney spoke out on her arrest in a statement shared on her website. "There is no democracy if women do not have control over their own bodies and decisions about their own health, including reproductive care," she began. "I have the privilege of representing a state where reproductive rights are respected and protected the least I can do is put my body on the line for the 33 million women at risk of losing their rights." Added Maloney: "The Republican Party and the right-wing extremists behind this decision are not pro-life, but pro-controlling the bodies of women, girls, and any person who can become pregnant. Their ultimate goal is to institute a national ban on abortion. We will not let them win. We will be back." This variation on the crunchy taco substitutes crumbled and sauteed tempeh for the meat (G Daniela Galarza/The Washington Post) In 2015, the taco a staple foodstuff for millions of people; a morning meal, easy lunch, Tuesday dinner and late-night bite got its own emoji. But that first draft, with its yellow, crunchy-looking tortilla, layer of brown meat, shredded orange cheese and red and green pixelated garnish, was the subject of much disdain. While Emojipedia describes the new character as a Mexican food item, the taco depicted by Apple isnt Mexican at all, journalist Caitlin Dewey wrote in 2015. Crispy taco shell, strips of lettuce, shredded yellow cheese: this is the stuff of American fast-food chains, not Mexican cuisine. Indeed, taco experts and fanatics in Los Angeles were quick to dismiss the emoji, calling it inauthentic and a gringo taco dreamed up by Big Fast Food. There was truth to that critique: Taco Bell put its money and mouth behind the campaign to get a taco emoji, so its no wonder that most taco emoji on the various operating systems still look like the chains signature taco. A year later, Apple redesigned its emoji to feature a soft tortilla and pleasing melange of fillings. Lots of people say it is a somewhat more accurate representation of the Mexican dish (the original depiction, with its crunchy shell and orange cheese, remains at-large on other operating systems). But is Apples soft taco emoji more authentic? The tacos I grew up eating were a multicultural mix: my Puerto Rican dad would add sazon to the meat mixture, and my Iranian mum would put thin french fries atop the stewed filling. Herbs, shredded iceberg and orange colby were the main garnishes on tacos built into crunchy shells, soft flour tortillas or even squares of lavash. In my 20s, I moved to southern California, arguably the worlds leading taco capital outside Mexico. There, among the many taco trucks and gas station stalls, rich, tempting spits and white-hot griddles, is Mitla Cafe. Since 1937 the small restaurant has served a generous variety of homestyle Mexican dishes, including chiles rellenos, enchiladas and tamales. Also on the menu? Tacos dorados, or what many north of the border call crunchy tacos. Story continues Its not a stretch to say that Taco Bell wouldnt exist if it hadnt been for Mitla. It was at Mitla in San Bernardino that Taco Bell founder Glen Bell had his first taste of a crunchy, fried taco shell filled with meat, salsa and shredded cheese. It sounds like a legend, but thats only because its a true story thats not told often enough. My point is: authenticity is a myth. So, Ill always have a soft spot for all kinds of crunchy tacos, whether theyre the puffy tacos popular in San Antonio or the Americanised high school cafeteria-style hard-shell tacos with orange cheese. Golden on the outside and filled to the top lip of their shell, these tacos dorados are proof positive that Mexican culture is alive and well. Just like all the different taco emoji, theres a taco for every taste. This variation on the crunchy taco substitutes crumbled and sauteed tempeh for the meat. Its a neat party trick, and one I think you should try for dinner tonight. Crunchy tacos with tempeh Inspired by the taco emoji, with its hard taco shell and layers of filling, this variation stars tempeh. Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh is generally sold in 225g bricks. Crumble it or shred it on the large holes of a grater, then saute with all of the usual aromatics and spices. Fill hard taco shells or your choice of tortilla, then top each taco with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and hot sauce or however you like them. This also makes a fine taco salad. Notes: Instead of tempeh, use a 400g block of extra firm tofu, pressed and crumbled, or 450g of lean meat mince. If using beef, lamb or turkey mince, omit the oil, as the meat will contain enough fat to saute the other ingredients. To make your own taco seasoning, for 1 tbsp: combine tsp fine salt, tsp onion or garlic powder, tsp ground cumin, tsp paprika (any kind), tsp ground black pepper and tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Storage notes: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. Total time: 30 minutes Serves: 2 Ingredients: 3 tbsp vegetable or another neutral oil 230g tempeh, grated or crumbled (see notes) 1 small onion (about 140g), preferably yellow, minced or coarsely grated 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp water, plus more as needed 1 tbsp taco seasoning mix, plus more to taste (see notes) 4 to 6 hard taco shells or other tortillas, warmed if desired 120g shredded cheese, preferably colby or a meltable blend, plus more to taste (optional) 120g shredded lettuce, preferably iceberg 1 medium tomato, diced Sour cream, for serving (optional) Chunky salsa, for serving (optional) Hot sauce, for serving (optional) Method: In a large cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the tempeh and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, letting it toast slightly and begin to brown and coat the tempeh, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water and taco seasoning. Taste, and adjust seasoning and add more water, if desired. Remove from the heat. To build the tacos, scoop about 70g of the tempeh crumbles into each taco shell or tortilla. Divide the cheese, if using, and lettuce and tomatoes among each taco shell. Top with the sour cream, salsa and hot sauce, if desired, and serve. Nutrition information per serving (2 to 3 tacos), based on 2 | Calories: 811; total fat: 59g; saturated fat: 16g; cholesterol: 54mg; sodium: 679mg; carbohydrates: 39g; dietary fibre: 5g; sugar: 6g; protein: 39g. This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitians or nutritionists advice. The Washington Post Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) -The long-time financial chief of former President Donald Trump's namesake real estate company is expected to plead guilty in New York on Thursday in a tax fraud case, a person familiar with matter said. Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg could be required to testify against the company, which is also charged in the case, the person said. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment, as did a lawyer for Weisselberg and a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is one of 40 city leaders selected nationally to the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Monday, the initiative named Dickens as a member of its sixth class of 40 mayors from around the world who will participate in the yearlong education and professional development program. Mayors from across the world are in New York this week to attend sessions geared toward equipping mayors with the leadership and management tools to tackle challenges in their cities aimed at improving the quality of life of their residents. TRENDING STORIES: The program is a four-day training experience with Harvard faculty and former mayors who attended the initiative previously. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] This class brings together a diverse and dynamic group of mayors from across the globe, and were glad to welcome them to New York City to kick off the sixth year of the program, said Michael R. Bloomberg, former three-term mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. With all the urgent shared challenges facing cities, the opportunity for mayors to exchange ideas and learn from one another and experts is more important than ever. Were looking forward to working with them throughout the year, and to seeing the results in their cities. IN OTHER NEWS: The Daily Beast Gregg DeGuire/GettyThe Flash star Ezra Miller has broken their silence after a number of highly publicized incidents, saying they are seeking help and treatment for complex mental health issues.Miller, who is nonbinary, released a statement through a rep to The Daily Beast apologizing for their actions and saying they have gone through a time of intense crisis and that they have begun ongoing treatment. The actor was arrested twice in Hawaii in spring, once for disorderly conduct and anoth LONDON BAE Systems, the largest defense contractor in Europe, is considering a move into the military air transport business via a strategic partnership with Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer. The companies opened the second day of the Farnborough air show in England July 19 by announcing they had signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue a potential deal with Saudi Arabia for the Embraers C-390 tactical airlift twin jet. The aim is to establish a partnership to collaborate in the Middle East and other markets, they said in a statement. Details of the potential scope of the strategic partnership were not available. Ian Muldowney, chief operating officer for BAE Systems Air sector said the collaboration recognizes the capability of the C-390 Millennium aircraft combined with BAE Systems extensive knowledge and understanding of international markets including experience in standing up military capability and delivering industrialization through the support, maintenance, and training solutions for complex aircraft. BAE has had a major industrial and support presence in Saudi Arabia for decades on the back of massive deals in the air sector involving Typhoon, Tornado combat jets and Hawk trainers. The C-390, known as the Millennium, is a multi-mission platform available in airlifter, air-to-air refueling and other variants. Launched in 2009 on the back of a Brazilian military requirement the Lockheed Martin C-130J rival has been picking up international orders, most notably in the Netherlands where the government said it would buy five C-390s to replace its aging C-130 H fleet. Embraer previously had an agreement with Boeing to market the C-390 in markets like the Middle East but that arrangement fell apart in 2019 when a wider co-operation plan collapsed. The C-390 MoU was one of two agreements signed by the British company and Embraer at the show. The two sides also confirmed their intention to create a joint venture to develop a defense variant of a electrically powered VTOL platform originally designed by the Embraer backed company Eve for the urban mobility market . Story continues The companies revealed last December they were planning to work together in the eVTOL market. Teams from BAE Systems and Embraer will continue working together to explore how the aircraft, designed for the urban mobility market, can provide cost-effective, sustainable, and adaptable capability as a defense variant, said Jackson Schneider, president and chief executive at Embraer Defense & Security. Eve Holding announced at the show a non-binding Letter of Intent with Embraer and BAE to explore the potential order of up to 150 electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles with the aim of examining the aircrafts applications for the defense and security markets. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has been fined in the Netherlands for operating without proper registration, the Dutch central bank said on Monday. See related article: Binance gets nod from Spain to offer crypto exchange, custody services Fast facts De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), which oversees crypto service provider registrations, said it imposed a 3.3 million euro (US$3.4 million) fine on Binance in April. DNB said Binance enjoyed a competitive advantage as it did not pay levies to the central bank and the incurring costs associated with the supervision by DNB. While we do not share the same view on every aspect of the decision, we deeply respect the authority and professionalism of Dutch regulators to enforce regulations as they see fit, a Binance spokesperson told Forkast on Tuesday. The spokesperson said Binance has applied for a registration as a crypto service provider through a locally established entity, Binance Nederland BV. The fine in the Netherlands comes amid the worlds largest crypto exchanges European expansion. Binance has been given regulatory approval to offer crypto-related services in France, Italy and Spain. See related article: SEC said to probe Binance for rule violation in 2017 initial coin offering: report Border Patrol agents made an arrest in California early Monday morning after they pulled over a driver attempting to smuggle around 250 pounds of fentanyl. A 2015 Black GMC was stopped on an interstate near Campo, California, at around 3:00 a.m., and a Border Patrol K-9 conducted a sniff and alerted agents to the vehicle. Agents then searched the vehicle and discovered multiple bundles concealed within the automobiles spare tire and gas tank. A combined total of around 250 pounds of pills that tested positive for fentanyl were found in the bundles. This amount of fentanyl has an estimated street value of more than $3,600,000, according to CBP. TEXAS LAW ENFORCEMENT MAKE MULTIPLE DRUG BUSTS, SEIZE COCAINE, METH WORTH MORE THAN $4 MILLION FLORIDA AG MOODY URGES BIDEN TO DECLARE FENTANYL A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION The driver was only described by CBP as an adult male. "Our agents prevented these dangerous narcotics from reaching our communities," Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said in a statement. "I am proud to say that our Border Patrol agents here in San Diego Sector are responsible for over 50% of all the fentanyl seized by the U.S. Border Patrol this fiscal year." BIDEN, MEETING WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT, URGES HELP FROM REGION TO STOP BORDER SMUGGLING The drugs were handed over to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the vehicle was seized by CBP. The Daily Beast Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/GettyIn a recent interview with Russian state media outlet TASS, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministrys North American Department, Aleksandr Darichev, said that in the event the U.S. designates Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, it would represent a point of no return in relations between the two countries. Speaking on behalf of the country that ruthlessly invaded its smaller neighbor and is continually being accused of human right (Reuters) - British military intelligence said on Tuesday Russia has struggled to sustain effective offensive combat power since the start of its invasion of Ukraine and the problem is likely becoming increasingly acute. "As well as dealing with severe under-manning, Russian planners face a dilemma between deploying reserves to the Donbas or defending against Ukrainian counterattacks in the southwestern Kherson sector," the Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence update. The ministry also added that while Russia may still make further territorial gains, their operational tempo and rate of advance is likely to be very slow. (Reporting by Ann Maria Shibu in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill) Critics have condemned the decision because it undermines sanctions aimed at stopping Vladimir Putins brutal war against Ukraine. Opponents have also argued that returning the turbine wont guarantee gas flows. This is an effort by Russia to undermine sanctions, said John Herbst, former US Ambassador to Ukraine and current Executive Director of the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center. Sadly, Germany continues to be weak in opposing predatory Russian attacks in energy, and the Canadian government is willing to go along. The US Department of State, the European Commission and the German government have all issued statements supporting Canadas decision, but Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the exemption will encourage Russia to continue using gas exports as a weapon. The Ukrainian diaspora in Canada has asked a court to quash the Canadian governments decision. We cannot supply a terrorist state with the tools it needs to finance the killing of tens of thousands of innocent people. Canadas decision to break sanctions and send the Siemens turbine back to Russia is a grave mistake with dire consequences, said Paul Grod, CEO of the Ukrainian World Congress in an interview. Read also: Why Putin is blackmailing Europe with gas Canadian politicians have also voiced their disapproval. Allowing the return of the gas turbine sets a dangerous precedent of folding to Putins blackmail of Europe and will negatively impact Canadas standing on the world stage, read a joint statement by three conservative Canadian MPs. New Democratic Party opposition spokesman Heather McPherson branded the decision shocking and disappointing and warned that it risked undermining Canadian efforts to support Ukraine. This decision goes against the sanctions Canada imposed on Russia in response to the illegal invasion and genocide in Ukraine. Canadians expect their government to show real solidarity with Ukraine but the Liberal governments decision is an affront to Ukrainians. Story continues Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has defended his decision. I remind people that the sanctions Canada is leading on, that we continue to push harder and harder, are aimed at Putin and his enablers and arent designed to harm our allies and their populations, he commented in response to criticism. Canadas decision has inevitably been compared to the White House move last year to waive sanctions against the Kremlins Nord Stream 2 pipeline. At the time, supporters saw the waiver as a way to ease tensions with Russia and reduce the potential for further aggression against Ukraine. However, the strategy did not work on that occasion and it is significantly less likely to work now. Attempts to offer the Kremlin concessions are based on flawed thinking. Such efforts assume that appeasement will stop Russias weaponization of energy exports to Europe and create opportunities to end the war in Ukraine. In reality, Russias demands for the return of the turbine are simply an excuse to test Western resolve. Read also: Canadian parliament recognizes Russias acts of genocide against Ukrainians Moscows claims that all existing turbines suddenly broke down are fairy tales, according to Ukrainian energy expert Mykhailo Honchar. No expert will believe four Siemens turbines failed at the same time, he noted. Even if Moscows claims were true, Honchar added, Russia could take turbines from the completed but shut down Nord Stream 2 pipeline nearby, which was frozen with the advent of Russias war against Ukraine. Russia has chosen not to do so. Instead, the Kremlin has demanded the lifting of Canadian sanctions in order to provide Germany with gas. Caving into Kremlin demands risks inviting further blackmail tactics, warns Honchar. He predicts that Russias energy sector regulating body will now identify further technical problems with existing energy export infrastructure and use these claims to request similar cancellation of sanctions against Nord Stream 2. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has argued that Russia does not need the turbine it is demanding from Canada in order to continue supplying gas to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. The Nord Stream 1 compressor station where the turbine operated is equipped with several other turbines, including backups. One turbine is in Canada, three are currently operating, and the rest have been turned off without explanation, the ministry stated. Nor is Nord Stream 1 the only available route. Russia could continue uninterrupted gas supplies to the European Union without Nord Stream 1 or 2 by using existing gas transit routes through Ukraine or Poland. Russias demand for the mandatory return of the turbine to continue gas transportation is blackmail that has no technical justification, noted Ukrainian officials. Read also: Canadas Finance Minister defends transfer of Nord Stream turbine to Germany On July 8, Moscow promised to increase gas supplies to Europe if the turbine was returned. After Canada lifted sanctions, Nord Stream 1 was shut down indefinitely. The entire affair is outrageous, said Ambassador Herbst. Germany made promises about weapons to Ukraine which they have not kept. Why should Canada accommodate the Germans at Ukraines expense? This column was first published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a press conference on Capitol Hill on February 23, 2022. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images China blasted a reported plan by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan next month. If the report is true, Pelosi would be the highest-ranking official to visit in recent years. The report comes at a critical time for US-Taiwanese relations following Russia's war in Ukraine. China's Foreign Ministry reacted harshly on Tuesday to a report that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to visit the democratic island next month, a trip that would come at a critical time in US-Taiwanese relations in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "If Speaker Pelosi visits Taiwan, it would seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations in the three China-US joint communiques and harm China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters. "It will have a severe negative impact on the political foundation of China-US relations, and send a gravely wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces. China firmly opposes such a visit." The Financial Times, citing six people familiar with the situation, reported earlier Tuesday that Pelosi would follow through with her plans to become the first sitting House Speaker to visit Taiwan since Republican Newt Gingrich in 1997. Pelosi canceled a planned trip in April after contracting COVID-19. A spokesperson for the speaker did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Beijing continues to claim sovereignty over Taiwan and is very sensitive to how the rest of the world recognizes its status. Some lawmakers have suggested that China may feel more likely to invade Taiwan after the West proved unable to stop Russia's unprovoked incursion of Ukraine. The United States policy for decades has been to not recognize Taiwan's independence but to strongly oppose any change in the status quo. The US also supplies Taiwan with defensive weapons and generally follows the policy of "strategic ambiguity" on how the US would respond if China attacked Taiwan. President Joe Biden has at times undermined that policy by pledging that the US would use military force if the island was attacked. But tensions were high even before Russia invaded Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping's suppression of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong put in full relief the extent he would go to carry out his aims. Xi has also repeatedly said that China must reunify with Taiwan, which it considers a breakaway province. Read the original article on Business Insider BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a visit to Tawian by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would seriously undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the United States would bear the consequences of its response. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who was speaking at regular press briefing after the Financial Times reported earlier that Pelosi planned to visit Taiwan in August, said China will take strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity. (Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Writing by Tony Munroe; Editibng by Andrew Heavens) By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -China is asking the United Nations human rights chief to bury a highly-anticipated report on human rights violations in Xinjiang, according to a Chinese letter seen by Reuters and confirmed by diplomats from three countries who received it. United Nations High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet has faced severe criticism from civil society for being too soft on China during a May visit and has since said she will refrain from seeking a second term for personal reasons. But before she leaves at the end of August, she has pledged to publish a report into the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. Rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against Xinjiang's Uyghur inhabitants, including the mass use of forced labour in internment camps. China has vigorously denied the allegations. The letter authored by China expressed "grave concern" about the Xinjiang report and aims to halt its release, said four sources - the three diplomats and a rights expert who all spoke on condition of anonymity. They said China began circulating it among diplomatic missions in Geneva from late June and asked countries to sign it to show their support. "The assessment (on Xinjiang), if published, will intensify politicisation and bloc confrontation in the area of human rights, undermine the credibility of the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), and harm the cooperation between OHCHR and member states," the letter said, referring to Bachelet's office. "We strongly urge Madame High Commissioner not to publish such an assessment." Liu Yuyin, a spokesperson for China's diplomatic mission in Geneva, did not say whether the letter had been sent or respond to questions about its contents. Liu said that nearly 100 countries had recently expressed their support to China on Xinjiang-related issues "and their objection to interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights". Story continues This support was voiced through public statements at the last U.N. Human Rights Council session, which ended on July 8, and through the "joint letter", Liu added, using a term denoting China and the other signatories. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters that Bachelet would have witnessed a "real Xinjiang with a safe and stable society" when she visited the region during her May trip to China. The spokesperson said attempts by some countries to "smear China's image" using the Xinjiang issue would not succeed. It was not clear whether Bachelet had received the letter, and an OHCHR spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. The Xinjiang report is being finalised prior to public release, he added, saying this includes the standard practice of sharing a copy with China for its comments. The report is set to address China's treatment of its Uyghur minority. A team of rights experts began gathering evidence for it more than three years ago but its release has been delayed for months for unclear reasons. Reuters was not able to establish how many signatures the letter received. One of the four sources, a Geneva-based diplomat, replied to the letter positively giving his country's support. Another version of the letter also seen by Reuters was more critical of Bachelet's actions, saying that the Xinjiang report was done "without mandate and in serious breach of OHCHR duties", and would undermine her personal credibility. It was not clear who edited it or why. The diplomat who signed the letter said the softer version was the final one. DIRECT LOBBYING China, like other countries, sometimes seeks to drum up support for its political statements within the Geneva-based rights council through diplomatic memos which others are asked to support. These can sometimes influence decisions at the 47-member Council, whose actions are not legally binding but can authorise investigations into suspected violations. Two of the Geneva diplomats said China's letter represents a rare example of evidence of Beijing seeking to lobby Bachelet directly. Sometimes, they say, countries find it hard to say no to China on human rights issues, given close economic ties. The memo comes at a critical juncture for the U.N. rights body in the last few weeks of Bachelet's term, with no successor yet nominated. Bachelet, 70, is due to leave office on Aug. 31. (Additional reporting by Yew Lun Tian in BeijingWriting by Emma FargeEditing by Mark Heinrich) Chris Brown is being accused of taking a $1m payment despite failing to show up at the Houston hurricane relief concert last year. According to multiple reports, a businesswoman is suing the 33-year-old rapper for cancelling his performance at the benefit concert on 19 March 2021. Owner and VP of DML Real Estate Investors and Construction LeJuan Bailey said her company booked Brown to appear in her One Night Only Benefit Concert at the Toyota Center. According to NBC, the organiser is accusing Brown of cancelling his performance even though she covered his performance fee, accommodation fee, and private plane requests, which totalled $1.1m. Bailey claims that the Go Crazy rapper has acknowledged his receipt of her last wire transfer but has allegedly refused to refund the owed sum. I acted in good faith and sponsored this concert out of love and respect for residents in need, Bailey told the outlet. I am appalled that Chris Brown refuses to refund my money for a show he did not appear to after we announced our show and sold tickets. At this point, it is my humble belief that Chris Browns actions are parallel to pure theft, Bailey said. He has the unmitigated gall to take my money, stand up the residents of Houston, then return to the city to perform on 17 August 2022. My message to Chris Brown: We will not sit back and allow you to disrespect the victims of Hurricane Ida and Nicholas in need. The Independent has contacted Browns representatives for comment. The latest controversy to embroil the Fresno City Council came Monday, courtesy of District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. Her public integrity unit filed a felony attempted extortion charge against Council President Nelson Esparza. The DA alleges that Esparza strong-armed former City Attorney Doug Sloan into working for only four of the seven council members. The DA added a charge of attempting to violate the city charter. If proved in a court of law, Esparza could face potential fines, jail time, or up to three years in state prison. For his part, Esparza declined to offer any comment to The Bee Editorial Board Tuesday on the advice of his attorney. However, in a previous court filing in a different case, Esparza denied ever directing Sloan to work for only part of the council. Among two other council members, the lines were drawn into distinct camps. Garry Bredefeld, who represents the citys northeast neighborhoods, viewed the allegations as serious and worthy of investigation and their time in court. Miguel Arias, who represents south and west Fresno, said the charges were brought by a conservative district attorney who is doing the bidding of Republican power brokers in town out to hurt the councils Democratic majority. Extortion is serious Two points need to be made. First, like any criminal defendant, Esparza is innocent until proven guilty. Opinion Second, extortion is serious. It is its own section in the California Penal Code Section 518. It involves getting property or other consideration from another, with his or her consent, or the obtaining of an official act of a public officer, induced by a wrongful use of force or fear, or under color of official right. As reported by Bee staff writer Brianna Vaccari, Bredefeld first alleged in May that Esparza committed extortion by threatening Sloans job if he completed work for councilmembers other than the majority, which includes Esparza as well as Arias, Maxwell, and Esmeralda Soria. The four are Democrats. Story continues Bredefeld, a conservative, said Esparza threatened Sloan in a private meeting in April and thats what ultimately caused Sloan to leave his position with the city. Sloan shared details of a conversation he had with Esparza in an email. That message was relayed to several people, but never intended to become public, Sloan said. For his part, Esparza denied the allegations, eventually filing a defamation suit, which accused Bredefeld of knowingly making false allegations. Esparza ended up withdrawing the lawsuit. A declaration revealed Bredefeld made the initial report to the district attorney. Arias has publicly rebuked Smittcamp for bringing charges against leading Democrats, saying she unfairly prosecutes liberals while giving Republicans a pass. As an example, he referred to the prosecution and acquittal of Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, for misdemeanor child abuse, and Smittcamps public investigations of other Democratic councilmembers that led to no charges. Smittcamp does not discuss current cases but has told The Bee Editorial Board she is motivated by nothing more than seeking justice and upholding the law. Voters judgment In one sense, a judgment has already been rendered about Esparza. Voters easily re-elected him in the June primary, despite the allegation about extortion having been made. (Full disclosure, The Bee Editorial Board recommended that he be re-elected). Be that as it may, the fact is that Esparza has a criminal case hanging over him. In the role of council president, he chairs the meetings and is the representative of the seven members at public events. It would be wise for him to relinquish those duties and step back as president until the extortion case is resolved. He can remain on the council to deal with district needs. Council vice president Tyler Maxwell can assume the top role for now. That way, Esparzas situation wont be any more distracting than it already is. The Delaware Court of Chancery ruled in Twitters favor Tuesday in the social networks legal fight with Elon Musk, setting an October 2022 trial date for the companys case against the billionaire. Twitter last week filed suit against Musk, seeking to force the mega-billionaire complete his $44 billion buyout agreement. That came after Musk on July 8 told Twitter he wanted to nix the deal over his suspicions that Twitter has more spam and bot accounts than it acknowledges. In its lawsuit, Twitter alleged the spam/bot issue is a red herring and that Musk is suffering from buyers remorse, because the deal has become more expensive for him personally given the drop in Teslas stock price. Twitter had asked the court for an expedited hearing, with a trial that would conclude before the end of September 2022. Musks legal team, in a filing last Friday, argued that the case should go to trial no sooner than Feb. 13, 2023. In her ruling Tuesday, Chancellor Kathaleen S. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery set the case as a five-day trial that will occur in October, with the parties to work out the details. In this case, Twitter seeks specific performance that is, the company is demanding Musk pay the original $44 billion purchase price and it is not at all apparent that [awarding monetary] damages could constitute a sufficient remedy if Twitter ultimately proves its case, McCormick said at the hearing Tuesday. Twitter had argued the case should be expedited because the company and its shareholders were left in limbo by Musks move to bail on the binding agreement, which was announced April 25. Lawyers for Musk, in their filing opposing Twitters request for an expedited trial, complained that Twitter made a sudden request for warp speed after two months of foot-dragging and obfuscation. Its possible that Twitter and Musk could work out a settlement prior to the matter going to trial. Twitter alleges that Musk has repeatedly violated the terms of his agreement to buy the company by tweeting disparagingly about Twitter and its employees, putting the business at risk and depressing the stock price. Musks lawyers have countered that the worlds wealthiest individual is just calling things as he sees them and that its his right to call out questionable claims of an acquisition target and also that Musk (who is Twitters largest single shareholder with a 9.6% stake) has a vested interest in maximizing Twitters market value. Story continues Twitter is scheduled to report second-quarter 2022 earnings on Friday, July 22, before the market opens. In light of the pending acquisition by an entity affiliated with Elon Musk, Twitter will not host an earnings conference call for its second quarter 2022 results, the company said. Best of Variety Hans Kluge is the World Health Organization's director for Europe. (Andreea Alexandru / Associated Press) The World Health Organization said Tuesday that coronavirus cases have tripled across Europe in the last six weeks, accounting for nearly half of all infections globally. Hospitalization rates have also doubled, although intensive care admissions have remained low. In a statement, the WHOs Europe director, Dr. Hans Kluge, described COVID-19 as a nasty and potentially deadly illness that people should not underestimate. He said that super-infectious subvariants of the Omicron strain were driving new waves of disease across the continent and that repeat infections could potentially lead to long COVID. The WHO also released its fall strategy for COVID-19 on Tuesday. The United Nations health agency called for a second vaccine booster dose for anyone 5 or older with weak immune systems and promoted mask-wearing indoors and on public transportation, and better ventilation in schools, offices and other places. Kluge said Southern Hemisphere countries were experiencing a very active flu season that, combined with COVID, was straining health systems. We are likely to see a similar scenario in the Northern Hemisphere, he said, warning that increased pressure could lead to business, travel and school chaos. He urged people to make their own decisions, even in countries where authorities have largely abandoned coronavirus restrictions. Were all aware of the tools we have to keep ourselves safe, assess our level of risk and take the necessary steps to protect others if we get infected, Kluge said. Just because a mask isnt mandated doesnt mean its prohibited. The 53 countries in the WHOs European region, which stretches to central Asia, reported nearly 3 million new coronavirus infections last week. The agency said the virus was killing about 3,000 people weekly. Globally, COVID-19 cases have increased for the last five weeks, as countries have scaled back on testing. With rising cases, were also seeing a rise in hospitalizations, which are only set to increase further in the autumn and winter months, Kluge said. This forecast presents a huge challenge to the health workforce in country after country, already under enormous pressure dealing with unrelenting crises since 2020. Story continues Editors of two British medical journals said this week that the countrys National Health Service has never before had so many parts of the system so close to collapsing. Kamran Abbasi of the BMJ and Alastair McLellan of the Health Service Journal wrote in a joint editorial that the U.K. government was failing to address persistent problems worsened by COVID, including ambulances lining up outside hospitals too overloaded to accept new patients. They slammed the governments insistence that vaccines have broken the link between infections and hospitalizations. Although vaccines minimize the chances of severe disease and death, they have not made a significant dent in transmission. The government must stop gaslighting the public and be honest about the threat the pandemic still poses to them and the National Health Service, the editors wrote. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The 74 UVALDE Brianna Gonzales, fresh off her nursing shift, sat quietly alongside her two sons in Uvalde High Schools auditorium this past week as school district officials laid out for parents new safety measures for the upcoming school year. Gonzales has decided to keep her two sons, a kindergartner and a fifth grader, in the [] The White House warned on Tuesday that the U.S. has ample evidence Russia is planning to annex more Ukrainian territory. Well break down the warning from the White House. Plus, well talk about the National Archives demanding the Secret Service launch a probe into allegations of erased text messages from Jan. 5-6, 2021. This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, Im Jordan Williams. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here. US: Russia will annex additional Ukrainian territory The United States has ample evidence that Russia plans to annex additional Ukrainian territory, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. The annexation playbook: Kirby, speaking from the White House briefing room, said that U.S. intelligence shows Russian plans to install illegitimate proxy officials in Ukraine and arrange sham referendums on becoming part of Russia. Russia is preparing to focus its efforts on Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and all of Donetsk and Luhansk, he said. Kirby likened the annexation playbook to Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea Peninsula, which triggered a wave of international sanctions. He added that the timeline of Russias annexation plans is unclear but that Moscow could put them in motion later this year, timed with regional elections. Russias war in Ukraine is about to enter its sixth month. Where the intelligence came from: Kirby told reporters Tuesday that the new assessment relied on both open-source information in the public domain and intelligence. Russia has already installed officials in areas of Ukraine it controls, including Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and there has long been chatter that Russia could move to annex Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraines east, where Moscows forces are currently focusing their military operations. Story continues Asked about what was new about the information he was citing on Tuesday, Kirby declined to provide specifics but insisted there would be a concerted effort by the part of Russia. Something to watch for: The administration plans to announce another tranche of military assistance for Ukraine later this week, Kirby told reporters, which will include additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and multiple-launch rocket systems. Read the full story here. National Archives demands probe into erased texts The National Archives is pushing the Secret Service to launch a probe into claims it may have erased text messages from agents from Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021. The request comes after the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused the agency of having erased text messages as part of a device replacement program. Texts improperly deleted: If it is determined that any text messages have been improperly deleted (regardless of their relevance to the OIG/Congressional inquiry of the events on January 6, 2021), then the Secret Service must send NARA a report within 30 calendar days of the date of this letter with a report documenting the deletion, Laurence Brewer, chief records officer for the U.S. government, wrote in a letter to the custodian of records at DHS. This report must include a complete description of the records affected, a statement of the exact circumstances surrounding the deletion of messages, a statement of the safeguards established to prevent further loss of documentation, and details of all agency actions taken to salvage, retrieve, or reconstruct the records, Brewer wrote in the letter from the Archives. Secret Service to comply: The United States Secret Service respects and supports the important role of the National Archives and Records Administration in ensuring preservation of government records. They will have our full cooperation in this review, Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman, wrote on Twitter. A subpoena deadline: The demand from the National Archives came just hours after a subpoena deadline from the Jan. 6 committee to turn over the relevant text messages, as well as any after action reports for Jan. 6. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) a member of the committee, said that while the Secret Service pledged to comply with the subpoena, the panel is likely to have outstanding questions about any missing data. I suspect we will still have a lot of additional questions to be answered, he said Tuesday. Read the full story here. Senate panel advances Finland, Sweden NATO bid The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday advanced protocols to support the accession of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, setting up a full Senate vote on expanding the alliance. The text, called a resolution of advice and consent to ratify NATO accession protocols, passed by voice vote. Rock solid commitment: Todays vote is further proof that the answer to aggression is not isolation, but deeper engagement with likeminded democracies, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a statement. As we look to expand NATO, the Senate also reaffirms its rock solid commitment to the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom from oppression. We must redouble our efforts to provide the Ukrainian people every weapon they need to fight this barbaric Russian war machine, he added. One present vote: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) recorded his vote as present and has spoken out against expanding NATO, criticizing the alliance as provoking military aggression over diplomacy. In 2017, Paul blocked the Senate from voting for Montenegros accession to the alliance. What happens next: Each government of NATOs 30-member countries must individually ratify the treaty to allow for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. At least 10 countries have already ratified the treaty to allow Stockholm and Helsinkis addition. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is holding back full support of his government for Finland and Sweden, saying in a television address on Monday that Ankara reserves the right to freeze their NATO bids if its security concerns are not met. Read the full story here. LOCKHEED, PENTAGON ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT FOR F-35 AIRCRAFT The Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin announced a handshake agreement with the Department of Defense to procure 375 F-35 fighter jets. Its unclear how much the deal will be worth based on both announcements. Reuters initially reported on Monday that the agreement would ultimately be worth $30 billion. In a statement, Lockheed said that both parties will work together to finalize the agreement over the next few months. When the deal is finalized, the company will share the final aircraft quantity and cost figures. ON TAP FOR TOMORROW Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley will give remarks at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at 8 a.m. The Aspen Security Forum will continue at 10:45 a.m. The Atlantic Council will host a discussion on Bidens trip to the Middle East: Outcomes and Opportunities at 9 a.m. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will hold a discussion on Does the War in Ukraine Herald a New European Era? at 9 a.m. The U.S. Institute of Peace will hold a discussion on U.S. Leadership in Atrocity Prevention at 9 a.m. The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber will hold a hearing on Accountability for Atrocity Crimes Committed by Russia in Ukraine at 9:30 a.m. The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on The Changing Election Security Landscape: Threats to Election Officials and Infrastructure at 9:30 a.m. The House Intelligence Committee will hold a closed markup of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 at 9:30 a.m. The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and Technology Modernization will hold a hearing on Modernizing Veteran Education in the Shadow of COVID-19 at 1 p.m. The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration and International Economic Policy will hold a hearing on Russia in the Western Hemisphere: Assessing Putins Malign Influence in Latin America and the Caribbean at 2 p.m. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing Examining the Status of VAs Electronic Health Record Modernization Program at 3 p.m. WHAT WERE READING Thats it for today! Check out The Hills Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow! READ THE FULL VERSION HERE For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Multiple Democratic lawmakers were arrested at an abortion rights rally near the Capitol on Tuesday, less than one month after the Supreme Court issued a ruling that reversed Roe v. Wade. Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Jackie Speier (Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Cori Bush (Mo.), Katherine Clark (Mass.), Andy Levin (Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Alma Adams (N.C.), Veronica Escobar (Texas) and Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.) were among those apprehended at the demonstration, which included a march from the Capitol to the Supreme Court. At 1:20 p.m., the U.S. Capitol Police wrote on Twitter that it began arresting activists blocking First Street NE. Authorities said they gave their traditional three warnings before taking protesters into custody. As of 1:35 p.m. the demonstration was clear, according to Capitol Police, which reported that 17 lawmakers were arrested in total. Authorities arrested 35 people overall for crowding, obstructing or incommoding. The demonstration came more than three weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, the 1973 decision that protected access to abortion. The ruling angered Democrats nationwide and prompted House Democrats to pass a pair of bills protecting access to abortion; those measures face little chance of clearing the 50-50 Senate. Maloney in a statement on Tuesday said There is no democracy if women do not have control over their own bodies and decisions about their own health, including reproductive care. The Republican Party and the right-wing extremists behind this decision are not pro-life, but pro-controlling the bodies of women, girls, and any person who can become pregnant. Their ultimate goal is to institute a national ban on abortion. We will not let them win. We will be back, she added. In a statement on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Pressley said the congresswoman participated in a protest against the cruel and callous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and strip away abortion rights for everyone who calls America home. Story continues Grassroots advocates were also present at the demonstration, according to Pressleys spokesperson. Speier wrote on Twitter that she was Proud to march with her Democratic colleagues and get arrested for womens rights, abortion rights, the rights for people to control their own bodies and the future of our democracy! Escobar tweeted that she was taken into custody in front of the Supreme Court, adding that she was proudly standing in defense of abortion access and reproductive freedom. She also posted a video of her and other House Democrats marching outside the Capitol chanting we wont go back. Clark, the assistant Speaker of the House, in a statement said The extremist Republican Party is determined to take us back in time and take away our rights. I refuse to stand on the sidelines as their rampage continues. They can arrest me, but we wont allow them to arrest freedom, she added. Levin wrote on Twitter Tuesday Im willing to do whatever it takes to protect abortion rightseven if it means getting arrested. I joined my Democratic Womens Caucus colleagues in a civil disobedience action outside the Supreme Court. We wont go back! he added. Tuesdays demonstration was not the first time lawmakers have been arrested at protests following the Roe decision. Last month, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) was taken into custody at a pro-abortion rights rally on Capitol grounds. Updated at 4:37 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Police in Denver shot five bystanders when they opened fire into a crowd of people after a suspect pulled out a gun and then allegedly aimed it at authorities. The incident unfolded early Sunday, just as bars in a bustling part of LoDo, the lower Downtown area about a block away from Coors Field and Union Station, issued their last call for the night, police said Monday. Denver officers were already in the area patrolling at the time when they spotted a man with a firearm, who appeared to be creating a disturbance. As authorities closed in, the suspect allegedly aimed his gun at them, prompting at least three officers to shoot. The armed man, who has since been identified as 21-year-old Jordan Waddy, was struck in the gunfire and transported to the hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. Hes facing charges including felony menacing and possession of a weapon by a previous offender. According to a probable cause statement obtained by the Denver Post, authorities spotted Waddy lift up his hoody as though he was armed with a handgun. It does not appear he fired his weapon at this time. A 10 mm handgun was recovered at the scene. Another five people two men and three women were also struck in the chaos and subsequently hospitalized, police said. They are all expected to survive their wounds. Investigators are working to determine whether their injuries were a direct or indirect result of the officer-involved shooting (indirect could be from ricochet or shrapnel,) according to the press release. As of Sunday night, all but one of the bystanders and Waddy had been released from hospital, DPD spokesperson Doug Schepman told the Denver newspaper. NY Daily News NEW YORK Jose Rodriguez was tired, hungry and beaten down when he crossed the border from Mexico into Texas after a two-month journey. He didnt have money, and he didnt have many options. Although he had originally hoped to go to Miami, he heard there was a free bus to New York. Officials told him that if he boarded the bus, thered be help waiting for him. Rodriguez believed there was a ... Senator Joe Manchin refused to answer questions today on reports that President Joe Biden is considering a national climate emergency declaration after he has stood in the way of key legislation to tackle the crisis. When asked about a potential emergency declaration, Senator Manchin told The Independent: Just get out of my way, if you will. Okay, Im going to go vote. Stop. Dont ask a question, Im not talking. Mr Manchin told senior Democrats last week that he would not support their attempt to push an economic package through Congress this month, which included billions of dollars to fight the climate crisis. The bill only has Democratic support, making the West Virginians vote critical in passing the 50-50 split Senate. When asked about a climate emergency declaration by ABC News on Tuesday, Mr Manchin also responded: Lets see what the Congress does. The Congress needs to act. An emergency declaration would allow the president to tap federal resources to tackle the climate crisis which is causing waves of deadly heat, ferocious wildfires and destructive storms across the US. While the declaration may be under consideration, the timeline for any announcements remains unclear. The Washington Post reported late on Monday that Mr Biden could declare a national climate emergency as soon as this week. But the president apparently does not plan to do so during a visit to Massachusetts on Wednesday, where he will make a speech about the climate crisis, Associated Press reported on Tuesday. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment. Several of Senator Manchins colleagues on Tuesday stressed the importance of some kind of climate action. Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, told The Independent that he wants to keep the door open to getting legislation passed, but added that the president should indicate that hes willing to take action. Its important for there to be a clear signal that the Commander-in-Chief is ready to use his powers on the climate crisis, Mr Markey said. Story continues Im confident that the President is ultimately ready to do whatever it takes in order to deal with this crisis, he added. Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, said that Congress needs to pass legislation to reduce the amount of carbon we put in the atmosphere. But he noted that the president also has a role to play. Well see what he does, he added. New York Congresswoman Alexandrio Ocasio-Cortez told The Independent on Tuesday that declaring a climate emergency would be an essential step and slammed Senator Manchins actions. Manchin has paused all action for the United States to act on climate for the last four years, she said. So I dont think he has any authority to speak on climate for the rest of our term here. If President Biden were to declare a climate emergency, it would open up a range of executive powers to cut US emissions and accelerate the countrys shift to renewable energy. Democrats had aimed to fund major, climate projects through President Bidens signature, party-line Build Back Better Act. However Mr Manchin, a centrist Democrat who has taken more campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry than any other senator according to The New York Times, doomed that bill after negotiations broke down in December. Since assuming full control of Congress and the White House in the 2020 elections, Democrats have failed to pass significant climate legislation, though some money from last years bipartisan infrastructure bill will go to environmental and clean energy projects. An independent assessment from the influential thinktank Rhodium Group last week revealed that the US is on track to reduce its carbon footprint by 24-35 per cent by 2030 significantly short of President Bidens goal, and the countrys promise under the global Paris Agreement. The US has pledged to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in half by the end of the decade, from 2005 levels. Over 100 million Americans are under heat advisories or warnings this week as temperatures in parts of the country soar over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). There are currently 85 large fires burning across 13 US states, with more than 3 million acres destroyed. BOGOR, Indonesia (AP) East Timors President Jose Ramos-Horta in a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart on Tuesday said he hoped Asias youngest country could join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year. In a joint news conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Ramos-Horta said that his government has fulfilled all requirements to be the newest member of the bloc, and his country expected Widodo would maximize his role as the chair of ASEAN next year to accelerate the acceptance of East Timor as the 11th member of the regional grouping. Im very grateful that Indonesia remains very committed to Timor Lestes membership in ASEAN, Ramos-Horta said after meeting with Widodo, using his countrys official name. We hope to join ASEAN during Indonesias presidency to be highly symbolic. Widodo could be seen nodding his head in agreement while Ramos-Horta expressed his hope, but he did not make any comment about East Timors request to join ASEAN during the conference. Ramos-Horta, former independence fighter and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was sworn in as president of East Timor on May 20 as the country marked its 20th anniversary of independence from Indonesia, which invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975. He made his first bilateral visit to Indonesia Southeast Asias largest economy and a traditional first stop for new East Timorese leaders. He was hosted by Widodo at an official ceremony Tuesday in the presidential palace in Bogor. The two leaders on Tuesday agreed to increase trade and transportation cooperation, and Widodo pledged to strengthen his administration role to participate in development in East Timor, including in infrastructure, banking, telecommunications as well as non-oil and gas sector. During his weeklong visit in Indonesia, Ramos-Horta is scheduled to meet with ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi to discuss regional issues and his countrys request for ASEAN membership. He also plans to meet Indonesias former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and give public lectures at three universities. Story continues East Timor officially applied for full membership of ASEAN in 2011, but ASEAN has yet to respond due to the nation's small economy and relatively high poverty levels. Members like much wealthier Singapore feared East Timor would be a burden and slowed its bid to realize the ASEAN Economic Community. The U.N. estimates nearly half of East Timors population lives below the extreme poverty line of $1.90 a day, and for every 1,000 babies born in the country, 42 die before their 5th birthday because of malnutrition. The former Portuguese colony was occupied by Indonesia for a quarter-century and gained independence after a U.N.-sponsored referendum in 1999. Indonesias military responded with scorched-earth attacks that devastated the East Timorese half of the island of Timor. The transition to a democracy has been rocky, with leaders battling massive poverty, unemployment and corruption. Its economy is reliant on dwindling offshore oil revenues. ___ Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Stefanik at a press conference on Capitol Hill on October 26, 2021. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images Rep. Elise Stefanik said a GOP-led Congress would investigate the Biden family. Stefanik accused the Bidens of "profiting" off Joe Biden's position of power. Hunter Biden has been investigated, but neither he nor his dad have been charged with any crimes. Rep. Elise Stefanik, the House Republican conference chair, said this weekend that the GOP will investigate the Biden family if they clinch a majority in Congress during the midterms. The New York Republican was speaking during a Sunday appearance on Fox News program "Life, Liberty & Levin," where she said a Republican-led House would hold the Biden administration "accountable." Stefanik accused President Joe Biden and his son Hunter of having "illegal ties to crime" and "relationships with other foreign adversaries, and entities that he should not be involved with," but didn't provide substantiation. "And Joe Biden profited from that," Stefanik claimed. "So, we intend to investigate." "We've already made those document requests and we're not going to hesitate when it comes to utilizing our subpoena power," she added. "Because again, the American people deserve accountability and deserve an investigation to what I believe is the Biden crime family." Stefanik also claimed that the "entire Joe Biden family" had been "profiting" off Biden's position of power, particularly when he was vice president during the Obama administration. "That is unacceptable in America. And imagine if the Republicans ever did that," Stefanik said. "Democrats would be investigating absolutely every aspect of that." Stefanik is a top House Republican who sits on the House intelligence committee. The committee, which oversees the 18 US intelligence agencies and departments, is currently led by Rep. Adam Schiff since Democrats have control of the House. Stefanik appeared to be echoing a pledge this month by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Reps. Jim Jordan and James Comer to investigate the Bidens. Story continues "A Republican majority will be committed to uncovering the facts the Democrats, Big Tech, and the legacy media have suppressed," the three wrote in the New York Post. In June, Comer also said investigating Hunter Biden would be a priority for the GOP, calling him a "national security risk." Comer said committee members are already investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings in Russia and China. Hunter Biden in late 2020 disclosed a federal investigation into his "tax affairs." The New York Times reported in March 2022 that while the younger Biden did pay his tax bill, a Justice Department inquiry into the president's son had not been closed. Simultaneously, rumors have swirled in right-wing circles, including allegations that there is damaging information about Hunter Biden on a laptop that he left at a repair shop. NBC News later obtained a copy of Biden's hard drive and iCloud account, which contained documents indicating that he and his company brought in around $11 million from 2013 to 2018, while he was working with Chinese businessman Dong Gongwen and Ukrainian gas firm Burisma. Neither Joe nor Hunter Biden have been charged with crimes. The younger Biden has denied any wrongdoing, while the president himself is not being investigated, a source told CNN in March. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider A Georgia man was arrested for multiple criminal charges, according to Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton, after an investigation into a report that he was picking up a female juvenile at night. Clayton Carl Kelley, 53, of Putnam County, Georgia, was arrested July 14 on 11 counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of electronic solicitation of a child, two counts of transmitting obscene material, and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The investigation began with the report that Kelley was picking an underage girl in the middle of the night. Investigators say they discovered Kelley had picked up two female juveniles and taken them to a local park, where he allegedly gave them marijuana. In another incident, he is accused of sending them videos and pictures, and giving them alcohol, Investigator Brandi Fuller said. Bond for Kelley, a registered sex offender in Georgia, was set at $421,000, with conditions of release including no unsupervised contact with a child under 18, no contact with the victims, and no use of a smartphone or other electronic devices. Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Etowah investigators charge Georgia man with child porn, other charges An explosion at the Hoover Dam has prompted an emergency response from a Nevada fire crew, authorities said Tuesday morning. "We have a crew on the way where we have a report of a fire," said Lisa LaPlant, a spokesperson for Boulder City. Boulder City officials said on Twitter that the city fire department was heading toward the incident about 10:30 a.m. after video circulated on social media showing an explosion near the dam. They later said the fire was extinguished before crews arrived. "The fire was extinguished before Boulder City Fire Department arrived on scene," city officials said in a social media post. A video of the explosion shows a dark cloud of smoke and flames rising from the bottom of the dam. A voice can be heard saying: "My goodness, something has just blown up." A transformer caught fire at the dam about 10 a.m., the Bureau of Reclamation said on Twitter. No injuries were reported among visitors or employees, and the small blaze was extinguished by a fire brigade run by the bureau. The agency is continuing to investigate the incident. The Hoover Dam stores water from Lake Mead, and is the largest reservoir in the country by volume when full. The dams generators help power public and private utility companies across Nevada, Arizona and California. This summers worsening drought has seen Lake Mead drop to significantly low water levels. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Good Morning America As monkeypox continues to spread across the U.S., the number of children infected with the virus is growing as well. At least seven children have tested positive for monkeypox since July, including a child in Maine, one in Florida and two each in Indiana and California. Children under the age of 8 are among those whom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers at "increased risk" for developing more severe illness if infected with monkeypox, along with pregnant people, people who are immunocompromised and those who have a history of atopic dermatitis or eczema. A former Fort Bragg soldier, who re-enlisted in the Army after attacking police with chemical spray during the riot at the U.S. Capitol, will now serve the longest prison sentence handed down so far against a North Carolina defendant tied to the massive insurrection case. On Friday, a federal judge in Washington sentenced both James Mault of Fayetteville and a co-defendant to 44 months in prison plus three years of supervised release. They were not patriots on Jan. 6, Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said during the hearings for Mault, 30, and Cody Mattice, 29, of Greece, N.Y., according to NBC News. No one who broke police lines that day were. They were criminals. Former Fort Bragg soldier James Mault, fires a chemical spray at police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. On Friday, July 15, 2022, Mault was sentenced to 44 months one of the longest prison sentences handed down so far in the prosecution of the riot. A weeping Mault, formerly of Brockport, N.Y., near Rochester, took responsibility for his actions but asked for leniency. Those police officers did not deserve what happened to them, Mault told the judge before she announced his punishment. As a soldier ... I should have known better. That Mault was a soldier at all was a bit of a fluke. The Army veteran had been fired from his ironworkers job in New York after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol by a mob of Donald Trump supporters trying to keep the defeated president in office. Both Mault and Mattice were interviewed by the FBI and both denied taking part in the violence against police that left more than 140 officers injured and left at least five people dead. Mault, who served four years as an Army combat engineer in Kuwait, re-enlisted in May. According to the Washington Post, the Army said it was not aware he was being investigated by the FBI when it allowed him to return. He was arrested at Fort Bragg in October after investigators obtained videos that placed him and his friend Mattice at two front lines of the Capitol violence, according to court documents. At around 2 p.m. on Jan. 6 on the West Plaza outside the Capitol, Mault urged officers in the police line to join the insurrection. Story continues Your jobs will be here when you come back after we kick the s--- out of everyone, he said on Mattices video of the exchange, court documents show. This s--- is f------ right. What were doing is right, or there wouldnt be this many f------ people here. And you guys f------ know this s---. When diplomacy did not work, Mault and Mattice pulled down several of the metal barricades in front of the police line and helped other rioters muscle through toward the Capitol, documents allege. Later, both men crowd-surfed their way on top of the mob to the mouth of the west terrace tunnel leading into the building. There, they were caught on camera, firing chemical sprays toward police in particular an officer identified in court documents as M.A. Texts and emails obtained by the FBI show Mault and Mattice had planned the violence for days, including an exchange of tips on what protective clothes to wear and what weapons to bring. Both pleaded guilty in April to felony assault on police officers. Their sentences were enhanced by their use of chemical sprays. In return for the guilty pleas, prosecutors dropped other charges that could have added years to their punishments. My friends and I went to the Capitol on Jan. 6 with the best intentions, Mault told the judge on Friday, according to the Post. ... Our protest got terribly out of hand, I fell into the mob mentality, and I didnt think about what I was doing. To date more than 850 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol violence, including more than 260 who have been charged with assaulting or impeding police officers. Of those sentenced, only four have received longer prison terms than Mault and Mattice, according to the Post. At least 23 North Carolinians have been charged in connection with the riot, including purported members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers extremist groups. Others remain under investigation. Howell, the judge, said her sentences had to serve as a warning to future malcontents disappointed with the outcome of an election contemplating the obstruction of the peaceful transfer of power especially by directing participating in violence as these two defendants did, the Post reported. Who are the key players from North Carolina in the events of Jan. 6? Rep. Robert Goforth, center, on the House floor at the Capitol in Frankfort. He announced Jan. 8, 2019 that he would seek the Republican nomination for governor in the spring. Former Kentucky gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Robert Goforth accepted a plea deal last week to his 2020 domestic violence indictment, two months after also pleading guilty to federal fraud and money laundering charges. Police arrested Goforth in April 2020 and charged him with first-degree strangulation and domestic assault. The police citation stated his wife told authorities he strangled her with a cord "to the point that she had difficulty breathing and believed she was going to pass out." Under the plea deal reached Thursday, the East Bernstadt Republican had the strangulation charge dismissed and pleaded guilty to his fourth-degree domestic violence charge, which includes a sentence of 59 days. Goforth's report date is not until December, and his defense attorney Conrad Cessna said his 59 days will be concurrent with his federal sentence, which is expected to be handed down in September and range from 24 to 37 months. More:Kentucky State Rep. Robert Goforth pleads not guilty to domestic violence charges The owner of a Clay County pharmacy, Goforth pleaded guilty in May to federal charges of health care fraud and money laundering, admitting to improperly billing insurance programs in excess of $2.7 million for prescriptions that customers never picked up. According to Goforth's plea agreement, his pharmacy multiplied profits by putting such medication back on the shelf and selling it again. Despite his arrest and indictment for strangulation and domestic violence, Goforth still won reelection easily in 2020, defeating his Democratic opponent with 71% of the vote. Background:Beshear, Cameron and Goforth. What's with Kentucky's 3 impeachment efforts? First elected to his state House seat in 2018, Goforth had a surprisingly strong showing in his long-shot bid for governor in 2019, coming within 13 percentage points of then-incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin in the Republican primary. A petition was submitted by citizens in 2021 to impeach Goforth from office due to his domestic violence charges, but a special impeachment committee of legislators declined to forward the charges to the full chamber. Story continues Goforth abruptly resigned from his seat in the state House in August 2021, stating that "family and personal circumstances demand my full attention and focus." The former legislator also agreed earlier this year to pay fines totaling $22,000 for campaign finance and ethics violations relating to his 2020 campaign, according to documents recently obtained by The Courier Journal. In an agreed order with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (KREF) in April, Goforth admitted to violating several statutes by not reporting or putting disclaimers on $35,720 of campaign mailers featuring a letter from his wife defending him, who wrote that angry liberal radicals from out-of-state have harassed us relentlessly. Though Goforth previously told KREF officials his wife had mailed out hand-written letters at her own expense without telling him, Goforth later admitted he had consulted with his wife and a former campaign manager to produce printed versions of the letter through an Arizona vendor, which he paid for himself. Goforth also signed an agreed order with the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission last week admitting to violations of the state code of ethics related to the mailers, as well as expressing remorse for filing a statement under oath with the agency that was false. The former legislator also admitted to using his official position to obtain unpaid services from Thomas Litafik his former campaign manager, who was also a registered legislative lobbyist on the mailer. Goforth agreed to cooperate and testify in matters related to the mailer and Litafik, who was also named as a respondent in the ethics complaint. Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Robert Goforth, former KY lawmaker, pleads to domestic violence charge By Michael Shields ZURICH (Reuters) -Activist fund manager Bluebell Capital Partners is seeking changes to the board at Richemont, Richemont said https://www.richemont.com/en/home/media/press-releases-and-news/request-for-agenda-items on Tuesday, Bluebell's first salvo against the Swiss luxury group that makes Cartier jewellery and IWC watches. London-based Bluebell, with around 250 million euros ($255.98 million) in assets, grabbed the spotlight last year when its campaign at French group Danone led to a management overhaul. The company has another live campaign https://www.reuters.com/business/st-gobain-shares-rise-bluebell-capital-calls-shake-up-company-2022-05-11 in France targeting construction materials giant Saint Gobain. Its website lists eight companies in its crosshairs. Bluebell wants Richemont to designate a representative of the holders of 'A' shares - which are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange - and elect that representative to the board, the Swiss group said. Bluebell also seeks to increase the minimum number of board members to six and to have an equal number of representatives of 'A' and 'B' shareholders on the board. 'B' shares, held by Compagnie Financiere Rupert according to Richemont's website, are not listed and represent 9.1% of the company's equity but carry 50% of the voting rights. The proposals will be submitted at the annual general meeting on Sept. 7. Richemont said it was reviewing the proposals and would comment on them in due course. Kepler Cheuvreux analyst Jon Cox was sceptical that Bluebell would succeed with its plan. "Richemont's shareholder structure, giving ten times the voting rights to holders of the B shares, looks out of date compared with more modern governance practices," he said. "However, the share structure itself means that any change in the makeup of the board will be decided by (Chairman) Johann Rupert and probably not by Bluebell." Story continues Shares in Richemont, in which activist hedge fund Third Point reportedly built a stake last year, slipped 0.4% in early trade. ($1 = 0.9767 euros) (Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Additional reporting by Pamela Barbaglia; editing by Louise Heavens and Susan Fenton) Jul. 19The Gainesville City school board announced at Monday's meeting that it will be beefing up security in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May that killed two teachers and 19 children. Superintendent Jeremy Williams said they are adding an "additional layer of security," which will cost the school system about $1 million. A security guard will be hired at every school, and they will have backgrounds in law enforcement, either active or retired. The school system will also hire a safety and security manager, who will centralize security operations, which have up until now been split between Deputy Superintendent Priscilla Collins and Chief Operations Officer Adrian Niles. Williams said they will likely make all hires by Sept. 1, once the board reviews a new policy in August that would allow them to arm certain staff. Williams said, however, that only the security guards, in addition to the school resource officers, will be allowed to carry arms under the policy. According to his schedule, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) did not attend any funerals for the 21 victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead, the Houston Chronicle reports. The schedule, running from May 25 to June 15 and obtained in a records request by ABC's KXXV 25, shows Abbott's last visit to Uvalde to be a community worship event on June 5. Missing from the document "is any mention of Uvalde victim funerals," the last of which was on June 16, the Chronicle writes. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D), who represents Uvalde, told MSNBC on Monday that Abbott has not been to the community since President Biden's visit. "[Abbott] did not go to one single funeral and quite honestly, many of the families didn't want him there," Gutierrez said. "Governor Abbott has been to the community multiple times, visiting with every family who requested a meeting and joining his fellow Texans to grieve and worship at events into June," Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze said in a statement. "Many families requested private funerals, and the governor and first lady instead sent flowers and condolences to let the loved ones know they remain in their prayers." Abbott and his office have remained in "regular contact" with Uvalde officials, with whom they speak "on almost a daily basis," Eze added. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said Sunday that he had not heard from Abbott in a month, the Chronicle reports. You may also like 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's growing Jan. 6 peril A history of Trump's alleged witness tampering Twitter: Musk tries to cancel the wedding Texas Governor Greg Abbott did not attend any funerals for the Uvalde school shooting victims and has not visited the town for more than five weeks, according to his schedule. Mr Abbott last went to Uvalde for a community worship event on 5 June, 12 days after the 24 May shooting at Robb Elementary School, according to his schedule, obtained through a public records request by ABC25. The last of the 21 funerals held for victims of the Uvalde school shooting was on 16 June when 11-year-old Layla Salazar was laid to rest. There is no mention of Mr Abbott attending any of the victims memorials on his schedule. In an interview with CNN, Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez, who represents the Uvalde area, accused Mr Abbott of ignoring the victims. He has the direct power to go and ask for accountability. The direct power to go and ask what happened here, Mr Gutierrez said. He is the governor of the state of Texas, and he has refused to step in. In a separate interview with MSNBC, Mr Gutierrez said there had been a failed response on giving resources to families. He did not go to one single funeraland quite honestly, many of the families didnt want him there. The criticism was echoed by Angel Garza, the father of 10-year-old victim Amerie Jo Garza, at a 13 July news conference. Angel Garza, father of 10-year-old victim Amerie Jo Garza, says Gov Abbott doesnt care about Uvalde (CNN) Mr Garza told reporters that since this happened, Governor Abbott has yet to reach out, The Houston Chronicle reported. Weve had Senator Gutierrez in our living room, willing to come and talk to us, Mr Garza said. Weve had Beto ORourke coming to our private meeting to fight with us. He marched with us. That means something to us. Mr Garza added that Texans should remember that when they cast their ballots in Novembers elections. These guys dont have compassion for us. They dont care. (Abbott) doesnt care that all these children were murdered and these teachers were murdered. Yall need to realise that. In a statement to The Independent, spokesperson Renae Eze said the governors office had been in regular contact with Uvalde leaders. Story continues Governor Abbott has been to the community multiple times, visiting with every family who requested a meeting and joining his fellow Texans to grieve and worship at events into June, the spokesperson said. Many families requested private funerals, and the Governor and First Lady instead sent flowers and condolences to let the loved ones know they remain in their prayers. Beto ORourke, who is running against Mr Abbott for the governorship, attended a march in Uvalde on 10 July. A spokesman for his campaign told ABC25 they did not want to say how many funerals he had attended. Family members confirmed he was present for some of them. Rob Burrow is still smiling through adversity (Simon Marper/PA) (PA Archive) Rob Burrow says the government has blood on its hands over the delay in delivering on a promise to provide 50million towards efforts to find a cure for motor neurone disease. The former Leeds and Great Britain player, 39, has become a leading light in the campaign to raise awareness of MND, having been diagnosed with the terminal illness in December 2019. The government pledged last November to make 50m available to the Motor Neurone Disease Association as part of a 375m investment into neurodegenerative disease research but, eight months on, scientists have yet to see the money, leaving Burrow frustrated and angry. I have 100 things to say to this government but I will keep it to one, Burrow told the PA news agency. People with MND dont have the luxury of time to wait. It is as if there is no rush to give our scientific researchers the opportunity to join the race to find an effective treatment while six people die each day from motor neurone disease. There is blood on your hands, this government and the civil servants, with the red tape you are putting up. (PA Wire) Burrows stance is supported by his wife and full-time carer Lindsey, who said: I am hopeful that one day a cure will be found but we need the UK government to support people with MND and provide more funding for research into the disease. In September 2021, the Prime Minister and Health Secretary pledged 50m for research but no money has been received by the MND researchers yet. A third of people with MND die within a year of diagnosis and dont have time to wait. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told PA: We have invested millions of pounds into motor neurone disease research leading to major advances in how the disease is understood. For example the funding has supported clinical trials of a repurposed drug, Triumeq, which has shown promise at reducing a type of virus in the brain thought to kill motor neurons. We remain committed to spending at least another 50million to help find a cure and researchers can apply for funding at the National Institute for Health and Care Research and UK Research and Innovation. Story continues (PA Archive) Burrow, who was given two years to live at the time of his diagnosis, says his condition has not worsened since he started taking an immunotherapy drug used in clinical trials for various types of cancer. Ive been using proluekin in the form of IL-2, he said. Ive been on this drug for almost two years and I have not got any worse since I have been on this cancer drug. Burrow has provided an update on his battle with MND in a new chapter of his autobiography, Too Many Reasons to Live, which is now out in paperback, and has maintained his famous sense of humour despite being confined to a wheelchair and being able only to speak with the aid of voice technology. Ive been this way for 18 months now and I have got used to being like this, he said. I have been a professional box-set watcher. With close friend Kevin Sinfield, the former Leeds and England captain, Burrow recently completed the Leeds 10k in a specially adapted wheelchair to raise money for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation and the Rob Burrow Centre for MND. Guy Pearce and Jason Donovan have stayed friends since Neighbours. (Fremantle) Guy Pearce has revealed he and Jason Donovan still call each other by their Neighbours names Mike and Scott, more than 30 years after they starred together in the soap. Memento star Pearce will return to his role as Mike Young alongside Donovan as Scott Robinson for the finale of the Australian soap, due to air on 29 July. Read more: What happened to these famous Neighbours cast members Pearce, 54, began his career on Ramsay Street before landing roles in Hollywood such as L.A. Confidential, The Hurt Locker and The Road, and will revisit his roots as Neighbours airs for the last time after 37 years on screen. Guy Pearce and Jason Donovan have stayed close over the years. (PA) He said: Jason and I see each other all the time, and we still call each other Scott and Mike, which is a bit sad! Whenever Im in London Ill see Jason most times and Ill see Kylie as well if shes around. There are a few others I catch up with when Im in Melbourne like Stefan (Dennis) and Annie (Jones) of course, shes been on (crime drama series) Jack Irish with me. Read more: Kylie and Jason to re-release 'Especially For You' as Neighbours ends Donovan and his co-star Kylie Minogue have shared photos of them back on set as Scott and Charlene ahead of the finale, which will also feature Peter OBrien as Shane Ramsay, Ian Smith as Harold Bishop, Mark Little as Joe Mangel, and Paul Keane as Des Clarke. Guy Pearce returns to Ramsay Street. (Fremantle) Pearce said that the opportunities Neighbours gave him as one of its stars from 1986 to 1989 had launched his hugely successful career. He said: There are certain moments in your life that are real markers. Being cast in Neighbours, the confidence it gave me and what I learnt being on the show were immeasurable qualities and benefits. Harold, Charlene and Scott are back. (Fremantle) Of course, there have been other moments when Ive auditioned for roles and got them, but I cant ever forget this. I always feel super lucky to have got on the show when I did and as we know, it just took off and became huge. Neighbours finale will air as a double bill on 29 July at 9pm on Channel 5. Watch: Neighbours soap scoop! Scott and Charlene return Hayley Hasselhoff proudly showcased her curves while strutting down the catwalk. On Sunday, the model and daughter David Hasselhoff walked the runway for Cupshe x Tabria Majors during Miami Swim Week. The inclusive beachwear brand was debuting its latest collaborations with Tabria Majors and Jojo Fletcher. The 29-year-old had all eyes on her as she led a troupe of models while wearing a neon color block tankini and high-waisted bikini bottoms. Hasselhoff completed the look with a sleek high ponytail, a glowy complexion and glossy nude lips. Hasselhoff also wore a black mesh one-piece paired with a ruffled maxi cover-up. The ensemble transformed the swimwear into a sweeping summer dress with a thigh-high slit and a plunging neckline. Hayley Hasselhoff walks the runway for Cupshe x Tabria Majors Fashion Show during Paraiso Miami Beach Resort 2023 at The Paraiso Tent on July 17, 2022, in Miami Beach, Florida. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Cupshe Hasselhoff has been making her mark as a sought-after curve model. In April 2021, she became the first curve model to land a European Playboy cover. At the time of the unveiling, Hasselhoff said that she and photographer Ellen von Unwerth "chose to celebrate [my] body by shooting in this artful way." FITNESS ICON DENISE AUSTIN, 65, AND DAUGHTER KATIE MODEL BIKINIS FOR SI SWIMSUIT RUNWAY SHOW: PROUD MAMA "My relationship with my body has always stemmed from my relationship with my mental wellbeing," she wrote on Instagram. "I feel empowered to be able to wake up and know that I get to live unapologetically myself. I hope to inspire women to face their fears of the unknown and to lead a life of purpose in which your body does not define you." "If there is one thing I would tell my younger self it would be that you are worthy just as you are," Hasselhoff continued. "Now, more than ever, we should be grounded in the exploration of self and feel encouraged to celebrate ourselves in ways that feel most authentic. I can only hope this cover will allow women to know that they are loved, valued and desired just as they are - right here, right now." Hayley Hasselhoff is a celebrated curve model. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Cupshe Hasselhoff was first scouted as a model at age 14 by Ford. While she focused on acting, she revisited modeling in 2014 and has continued since then. Story continues In 2015, Hasselhoff told Fox News Digital there has been a growing movement in the fashion industry to embrace more shapes and sizes. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "Like with anything that society doesnt really understand, its tricky," she explained at the time. "In the modeling world, plus-size usually starts at a size 8 and goes up to a size 18. In society, you would think plus-size would be a 14 to 24, and rightfully so, because thats what you were taught to believe. The plus-size modeling industry is still a part of the fashion industry, and its still a cutthroat industry. Its one thats been around for years. Its just one that hasnt been as publicized." Hayley Hasselhoff prepares backstage during Miami Swim Week. Photo by Romain Maurice/Getty Images for Life By Style Collective "But if you look at Cosmopolitan in Australia, theyve been using plus-size girls in their editorials since 2000 on a regular issue basis without labeling them plus-size," she continued. "Vogue Italia also features plus-size models. There [are] so many outlets that have already embraced plus-size models, and I think America is slowly being introduced to that. Fortunately, its happening, and its becoming this beautiful movement that I'm proud to be a part of. I think that plus-size modeling is trying to find its niche in the market, which is making it such an exciting time." As for her father, Hasselhoff said the "Baywatch" and "Knight Rider" icon has always been supportive. "He loves it," said Hasselhoff. "I started when I was 14, so my dad was driving me to my jobs when I was a kid. Hes so, so proud of me, and thats the biggest gift of all to me, to hear that my parents are proud of me." HAYLEY HASSELHOFF SAYS SHE WORE HER OWN LINGERIE FOR EUROPEAN PLAYBOY COVER: THERES STILL A LONG WAY TO GO David Hasselhoff with Hayley Hasselhoff as she promotes a plus size activewear collection at Marina Rinaldi Boutique on July 08, 2019, in New York City. Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images "Hes in the entertainment business, but people tend to forget that hes my dad first," the model shared. "I have a great and supportive family. The only time this business ever stood out to us as a family was when I got to see his passion when it came to his craft at a very young age and how hard-working he was. Im so thankful for that. Thats what I take away the most out of being the child of somebody whos in the spotlight. He has always encouraged me to follow my dreams." Story at a glance The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued heat warnings and advisories for most of Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska, along with large parts of other southern states. Daytime temperatures are expected to reach the triple digits with some areas predicted to hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry conditions and gusty winds have prompted the NWS to issue Red Flag Warnings for Texas and some other states. Texas and other plains states are getting some of the hottest weather of the summer this week. Residents in Texas have been asked to conserve water as scorching temperatures have already reached northwestern parts of the state. In Fort Worth, temperatures reached a swelting 109 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, the hottest any part of the state has gotten the entire year. The National Weather Service has issued heat warnings and advisories for most of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas and large parts of states in the lower Mississippi valley, impacting more than 100 million people. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. Daytime temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees across most of the region and as high as 110 in some parts, the agency said. The extreme heat coupled with low humidity and gusty winds are placing swaths of states at higher risk for fires. As firefighters work to put out 85 blazes across the country, the agency has issued Red Flag warnings for Texas, western Nebraska and southeastern Wyoming. Pockets of the northeast in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts are also under heat advisories with the extreme heat expected to reach more of the eastern part of the country on Wednesday, according to the agency. Europe and the United Kingdom are also seeing record-setting temperatures as a historic heat wave consumes the continent. On Tuesday, Great Britain recorded a temperature of 40.2. Celsius, or 104.4 Fahrenheit a first for the country. Story continues Scientists have long warned about the impacts of climate change. In a 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, increasing global temperatures stemming from human-induced climate change will cause more heat waves and longer summers. READ MORE STORIES FROM CHANGING AMERICA WOLVERINE CAPTURED, COLLARED IN ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE FOR UTAH RESEARCHERS WILDLY RARE VIDEO SHOWS YELLOWSTONE BEAR JOIN IN WOLF HUNT AND STEAL FOOD IN KLEPTOPARASITIC DRAMA RESEARCHERS CAPTURE FOOTAGE OF RARE DEEP SEA FISH WITH TRANSLUCENT HEAD I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE: MAN SUDDENLY ATTACKED BY PACK OF OTTERS For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Massive waves sent wedding guests running for cover as water aggressively knocked over decor and stands in Hawaii over the weekend. As seen in a video, waves some reported to be over 20 feet high crashed a wedding at Hulihee Palace in Kailua-Kona, wiping out tables and a bar but miraculously leaving the food and wedding cake unharmed. It definitely did not stop the party, assured the groom in a clip taken after. We definitely kept going and if anything it just made everybody closer. More from NextShark: 'Waterboy' actor filmed berating LA Koreatown hostess after being denied entry for not wearing mask Hawaiis Department of Land and Natural Resources claimed that the swells were the highest south shore surf in more than 25 years. In a separate video, waves can be seen crashing over two-story buildings, soaking everyone in its path. More from NextShark: Canadian students saved customers $450k in grocery bills with their peculiar delivery service Its flooding everywhere, says the person filming. Chris Brenchley, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Honolulu reported that some waves reached 20 feet, 20 feet-plus evengetting on the level of historic. Lifeguards and rescue crews conducted at least 1,960 rescues on the island of Oahu alone over the weekend. Story continues Unlike previous reports, Hurricane Darby was not the major cause of the waves. Instead, Brenchley explained that a warming planet was to blame. The most direct type of impact that we can use with climate change is the sea level rise. Any time you add just even small amounts of water, you raise that sea level just a bit. Earlier this year, a study from Japans University of Tsukuba warned that East Asia could be flooded by atmospheric rivers that would bring an unprecedented extreme rainfall if climate change persisted. Rising sea levels have also been an increasingly big issue in countries like China with a large coastal region, where waters had risen 82 millimeters higher on average from 1993 to 2011. Featured Image via Guardian News Moyashi Fujisawa's Burn the House Down is the latest hit Japanese manga to be adapted into a live-action series by Netflix. Initial details were released by The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. Mei Nagano will take on the role of Anzu Murata, a young woman who manages to infiltrate the lives of the wealthy Mitarai family as their housekeeper. At the house, she meets Mr. Mitarais second wife Makiko Mitarai, played by Kyoka Suzuki, and slowly begins to unravel the mystery behind a devastating fire that changed her life 13 years ago. The series will be both Murata and Suzukis first Netflix project. Director Yuichiro Hirakawa ("The Promised Neverland," "Group Demotion") helms the upcoming series, joined by screenwriter Arisa Kaneko, executive producer Shinichi Takahashi and producer Kei Haruna. More from NextShark: Michelle Yeoh takes a trippy multiverse journey in trailer for A24's 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' The series follows a number of live-action adaptations Netflix has previously released, including the highly anticipated Cowboy Bebop series that was canceled shortly after its premiere. Another failed live-action adaptation for the hit anime and manga Death Note was previously released in 2017. The streaming giant revealed earlier this month that another attempt at a live-action Death Note is in the works, with Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer tapped to join the production. Burn the House Down is expected to premiere sometime in 2023. More from NextShark: New 'Wuxia' Studio Unveils Their First Kung-Fu Comic Series Led By a Chinese American Heroine Featured Image via Kodansha More from NextShark: Live-Action Mulan to Be Released on Disney+ For an Additional Fee Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Lulu Wang Slams News of Ron Howard Directing Lang Lang Biopic E! News Jennifer Aniston gave a look inside her recent beach vacation with Jason Bateman and his wife Amanda Anka. See moments from their tropical retreat that has Jennifer asking to go back. A suspected robber was shot and killed over the weekend by his intended victim who had his own weapon, Houston police said. The robbery occurred around 10:30 p.m. when a man was leaving an ATM. Another man tried to rob him and the victim pulled out a gun, Fox Houston reported. Both men fired their weapons. NYPD REPORTS 51% SURGE IN CAR THEFTS, AS BRAZEN CRIMINALS BOAST OF STOLEN VEHICLES ON SOCIAL MEDIA The suspect was struck once and authorities pronounced him dead at the scene. The news outlet said the shooter remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. In June, another Texas gun owner defended himself against when he shot a teenage would-be robber in Austin. The suspect in that case, Jaylyn Reed, 17, was charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. At the time of the alleged crime, he had just been released from juvenile detention with an ankle monitor, which he cut off. He was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital. Immigrants being bussed from Texas and Arizona are welcome to Washington D.C., residents told Fox News. "Yes, I think they should be welcome here, I mean, this is the nation's capital," Jessica, who has lived in the nation's capitol since 2008 said. "Nothing happens without it coming through Washington, D.C." Dominique, who was homeless for eight years before recently finding housing in the District, said, "everybody should have a chance at some type of way of getting out of the desperation that they're in." Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appeared on CBS "Face the Nation" on Sunday to discuss the persistent homelessness problem plaguing her city. Bowser admitted that it is a "significant issue" and called on the federal government to get more involved as she fears illegal immigrants are being "tricked" into traveling to her city. WASHINGTON MAYOR TORCHED AS HYPOCRITE FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT BORDER MIGRANTS BUSED TO DC Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey started ordering buses of immigrants to Washington D.C. in recent months to manage the growing numbers pouring crossing the border. "If people need a place to go, then they should be able to go somewhere safe, regardless of where that is," said Hannah, a teacher working in the District. "I think that they could be welcomed here in D.C.," a Georgetown student, Christiana, told Fox News. "I definitely do not think that that is a sustainable, permanent solution for the immigration crisis right now." "We definitely need our president or people in office to pay more attention to the issue or address it in more ways," she continued. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection June 2022 Monthly Operational Report said there were more than 207,416 encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border for the month of June, down from Mays all-time high of 239,000. BORDER CRISIS: CBP'S JUNE IMMIGRATION REPORT REVEALS MORE THAN 200,000 ENCOUNTERS, RECORD TERRORIST SIGHTINGS "We have for sure called on the federal government to work across state lines to prevent people from really being tricked into getting on busses," Bowser said Sunday. Story continues City officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, discuss the rising violence at a press conference April 25 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images) When asked for comment, Bowser did not say who is tricking illegal immigrants in Texas and Arizona to hop on buses traveling to the nations capital. "I've been here for 15 years, I pay my taxes, I have a family, and I'm actually doing very well," said one Washington, D.C. local. "But I don't want to pay for someone to come and take advantage of this country," she continued. MAYOR BOWSER WON'T SAY WHO IS TRICKING MIGRANTS INTO BUS RIDES FROM TEXAS TO DC Another Washington resident, Richard, said "I would love to welcome them in D.C It's a very diverse city and that's what makes it so special." "D.C. is already suffering through a homeless crisis right now, and I'm worried that the immigrants coming here will be suffering the same thing," he continued. Wesley told Fox News that it would be fine if there were an agreement between the Texas and D.C. governments over bussing immigrants to the capital. "But just to put them on a bus, and they show up in D.C., I don't think that's cool." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Jessica told Fox News, "They should be welcome and there should be some type of plan in place for them to be able to get situated here." "Texas, for as big as it is with many resources as it has, I'm shocked that they would choose to bus people all the way out to D.C., which [is] significantly smaller," Hannah said. "I don't doubt that we lack the resources here, but if there's space for people to go, then we should let them come," she continued. By Gabriella Borter (Reuters) -An Indiana doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim threatened to sue Indiana's attorney general for defamation on Tuesday, filing a claim alleging that he made "false and misleading" statements about her handling of the case. The case prompted a national outcry and scrutiny after the Indianapolis Star newspaper published a story, based on Indiana Dr. Caitlin Bernard's account, of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion because an Ohio law banned the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Republican, said last week that he was investigating whether Bernard had abided by state laws requiring doctors to report the termination of a pregnancy and suspected cases of child abuse, and whether she had violated federal patient privacy laws. Rokita in a statement posted online along with a letter addressed to Indiana's governor said Bernard could face "criminal prosecution and licensing repercussions" if she failed to file the required reports on time. The Indianapolis Star reported that it had obtained documents through a public records request showing that Bernard had, indeed, met the disclosure requirements in a form she filed with the Indiana Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Child Services. Lawyers for Bernard filed a claim against Rokita on Tuesday, seeking unspecified damages for security costs, legal fees, reputational harm, and emotional distress, and giving the state 90 days to respond before potentially filing a defamation suit. Mr. Rokitas false and misleading statements about alleged misconduct by Dr. Bernard in her profession constitute defamation per se," the claim said. In a statement, a spokesperson for Rokita's office called the claim "an attempt to distract from the important work of the office, including the duty to determine whether practitioners have violated the standards of practice in his or her profession, as well as federal and state laws." Story continues The 10-year-old girl was referred to Bernard for an abortion three days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. After Roe's fall, an Ohio law took effect banning abortion before most women know they are pregnant and barred the girl from getting an abortion in-state. The story went viral, with abortion rights activists and even U.S. President Joe Biden, holding up the case as an example of the consequences of Roe v. Wade's reversal, while abortion opponents cast doubt on the truth of the Indianapolis Star's report. On July 13, an Ohio man was charged with raping the 10-year-old girl who traveled to Indiana for an abortion, corroborating the story. (Reporting by Gabriella Borter; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Marguerita Choy) DUBAI (Reuters) - Award-winning Iranian film director Jafar Panahi will serve a six-year prison sentence originally issued by a Tehran court in 2010, a judiciary spokesman said on Tuesday, amid a stepped-up crackdown on dissent in the Islamic Republic. Panahi was detained on July 11 while visiting the Tehran prosecutors office to follow up the cases of two Iranian filmmakers, Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Aleahmad, who were arrested on security-related charges earlier this month. "This person (Panahi) was sentenced to a total of six years in prison due to his propaganda against the Islamic Republic in 2010..., but it was not enforced," judiciary spokesman Masoud Setayeshi told a televised news conference. In 2010, an Iranian court sentenced Panahi to six years in prison and banned him from making movies or travelling abroad for 20 years after he was convicted of "propaganda against the system". Panahi said then that he was a victim of injustice and called one of the charges against him a joke. He was later released on bail. Panahi has won several international awards, including the Cannes Film Festivals Camera dOr prize for his 1995 movie "White Balloon" and the 2015 Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear for his film "Taxi", shot in Iran while he was free on bail. His films have not been shown in Iran. The Cannes festival condemned the arrest of Iranian film makers and France last week called on Tehran to free them. Over the past several months, Iran's hardline rulers has faced growing public discontent over soaring prices, especially for food and housing, that have sparking unrest across the country. Dozens of activists, teachers and retirees have been arrested, according to Iranian media reports. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressed his case for a military offensive against Syria's Kurds at a summit in Tehran Tuesday, despite Iran's supreme leader warning against such a move. The summit, hosted by Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and also attended by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, was ostensibly aimed at ending more than 11 years of conflict in Syria, where Iran and Russia support the Damascus government and Turkey supports rebel forces against the regime. But Turkey is also deeply opposed to a semiautonomous Kurdish administration in Syria's oil-rich northeast, and Erdogan has lately repeatedly vowed to launch an offensive against Kurdish militants, on the back of a 2019 onslaught. A statement by the three presidents "expressed their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to Syria," while they also "rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground... including illegitimate self-rule initiatives" in the war-torn country. The trilateral statement came shortly after Erdogan had urged Russia and Iran to back his efforts to combat terrorism in Syria, contending that "it should be understood clearly that there is no room in our region's future for separatist terror organisations." "We will continue our fight against terrorist organisations in the time to come," he said. But he had earlier Tuesday earned a rebuke for his push for an offensive against Syria's Kurds from Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei in a bilateral meeting ahead of the summit. Khamenei told Erdogan such an offensive would be "detrimental" for the region and called for the issue to be resolved through dialogue between Ankara, Damascus, Moscow and Tehran. It was not immediately clear whether the trilateral statement at the summit reflected any alteration in Iran's or Russia's position on Turkey's threatened offensive. - Energy ties, Ukraine grain - Khamenei also on Tuesday urged strengthened energy cooperation with Moscow in a meeting with Putin. Story continues Russia's president travelled abroad for only the second time since ordering Russia's February invasion of Ukraine in order to attend the gathering. The summit came days after US President Joe Biden visited the Middle East for the first time in his presidency, with stops in Iran's regional foes Israel and oil-rich Saudi Arabia, a country his government has pressed to increase oil output to ease a price spike related to the Ukraine war. Khamenei called for stronger "long-term co-operation" with Moscow, according to a statement on his official website that noted both Moscow and Tehran are afflicted by Western sanctions. Describing such ties as "deeply beneficial to both countries," the supreme leader called for bilateral contracts and understandings in hydrocarbons to be "followed up and implemented fully". Prior to Putin's arrival, the National Iranian Oil Company and Russia's Gazprom signed a memorandum of understanding "worth about $40 billion," according to the Iranian oil ministry's official news agency. Putin and Erdogan also held a bilateral meeting where the Russian president said he wanted to "thank" his Turkish counterpart for progress on talks over Ukraine's grain, according to the Kremlin. Russia's war on Ukraine has massively hampered shipments from one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat and other grain, sparking fears of global food shortages. Turkey -- a NATO member on speaking terms with both Russia and Ukraine -- has spearheaded efforts to resume the grain deliveries. Erdogan has for months been offering to meet Putin in a bid to help resolve heightened global tensions. "I want to thank you for your mediation efforts," Putin told Erdogan during the bilateral meeting, according to comments released by the Kremlin. "We have moved forward," Putin said, while adding "not all issues have yet been resolved." EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned on Monday that Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports threatens supplies to countless thousands vulnerable to starvation. - 'Iran-phobia' - On Sunday, a day after Biden ended his tour of the Middle East, Iran accused the United States of provoking crises in the region. Biden had vowed the US would not "tolerate efforts by any country to dominate another in the region through military buildups, incursions, and/or threats", in reference to Iran. In a speech at a Saudi summit of Gulf Arab states as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, Biden assured those gathered that the US would remain fully engaged in the Middle East. "We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran," he said Following the meeting, a joint statement committed the leaders to "preserve regional security and stability". It also underscored diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a goal the Islamic republic has always denied seeking. On Sunday, Iran accused the US of having "once again resorted to the failed policy of Iran-phobia, trying to create tensions and crises in the region". The US last week alleged Iran plans to deliver "hundreds of drones" to Russia to aid its war on Ukraine, an accusation the Islamic republic dismissed as "baseless". pdm/dwo/kam STORY: The three countries are working together to try to reduce the violence in Syria despite supporting opposing sides in the war. Russia and Iran are Syrian President Bashar al-Assads strongest backers, while Turkey supports anti-Assad insurgents. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch another operation in Northern Syria, which Tehran and Moscow oppose. In Tehran, Putin and Erdogan will meet to discuss a deal aimed at resuming Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports. The prospect of an emerging U.S.-backed Arab-Israeli bloc that could tilt the Middle East balance of power further away from Iran has accelerated its clerical rulers' efforts to strengthen strategic ties with the Kremlin. Acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi, jailed as part of a crackdown on the country's filmmakers, for years defied a ban on his work to carry on making deeply human tales of Iran's social and cultural struggles that won a loyal following abroad. The ingenuity he demonstrated in getting his films made and smuggled out of Iran to foreign distributors and film festivals became the stuff of legend. A year after being handed a 20-year ban on filmmaking he dispatched a documentary with the cheeky title "This is Not a Film" to the Cannes festival on a flash drive stashed in a cake. "Why should it be a crime to make a movie?" he told AFP in 2010. "When a filmmaker does not make films, it is as if he is jailed." Panahi, 62, was banned from making movies and leaving the country in 2010 after supporting mass anti-governments protests a year earlier and making a series of films that critiqued the state of modern Iran. Convicted of "propaganda against the system", he was sentenced to six years in jail but served only two months behind bars before being released on bail. In the years that followed, Iranian authorities appeared content to turn a blind eye to his failure to toe the line, as long as his films did not appear overtly political. That tolerance ended on July 11 with his arrest in connection with protests by a group of filmmakers and subsequent order to serve out the sentence that had been hanging over him since 2010 in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. "Panahi had been sentenced in 2010 to a total of six years in prison... and therefore he was entered into Evin detention centre to serve his sentence there," judiciary spokesman Massoud Setayeshi said Tuesday. He is the third Iranian director to be detained this month, alongside Mostafa Aleahmad and Mohammad Rasoulof, who won the Golden Bear in Berlin in 2020 with his film "There Is No Evil". Their arrests triggered an outcry in Europe, where the organisers of the Berlin and Cannes festivals condemned the clampdown on free speech and demanded the directors' release. Story continues Panahi was arrested after going to the prosecutor's office to inquire about Rasoulof's situation. He and Rasoulof had in May denounced the arrests of several colleagues in their homeland in an open letter. Rasoulof had also led a group of Iranian filmmakers in giving voice to public outrage over what they called the "corruption, theft, inefficiency and repression" underpinning the collapse of a 10-storey building in southwestern Khuzestan province on May 23 in which 43 people were killed. - Camera on the dashboard - A child of the Tehran slums, Panahi is a leading exponent of Iranian New Wave cinema, alongside Abbas Kiarostami, whom he served as an assistant early in his career. In keeping with the movement, his films focus on the social realities of his homeland and give pride of place to non-professional actors. His first feature film, "The White Balloon", won the Camera d'Or in 1995 at Cannes, which also rewarded him in 2003 with the Jury Prize for "Blood and Gold" and Best Screenplay in 2018 for his roadmovie "3 Faces" about three generations of Iranian actresses. One of his most popular films, "Taxi", which won the top prize at the Berlin film festival in 2015, was secretly filmed with a camera mounted on the dashboard of a cab he drove around Tehran. His conversations with the small cross-section of Iranians that come aboard -- his aspiring filmmaker niece, a couple of old women with a fishbowl, a lawyer barred from practising her trade, a badly-injured man who is making his will on the backseat -- provide rich insights into everyday life in the Islamic republic. Despite being barred from travelling to collect awards or attend premieres of his films, Panahi has always maintained he has no desire to leave Iran. "I am in love with my country, and despite all its limitations I would never want to live elsewhere," he has said. burs-cb/eab/hc Watch: Ghost spotted in James May's new Italy documentary James May insisted there may be a 'more boring' explanation for the 'ghost' spotted in his new documentary series. The former Top Gear presenter travels around Italy in his new Prime Video series Our Man in Italy. In episode three, the show visits the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, where the population was wiped out in 79AD by the eruption of nearby volcano Mount Vesuvius, leaving some people petrified as they fled. As May, 59, told the camera: "It probably is worth remembering that this is a mass grave", a semi-transparent figure appears and walks across the road, before disappearing into thin air. Read more: James May admits retirement is 'not far off' for him Many viewers spotted the 'ghost' and shared the supernatural encounter on social media. James May is haunted by a 'ghost' in his Our Man In Italy series. (Prime Video) May tweeted: "My thanks to everyone who has pointed out the ghost in ep3 of my new Italy series. Nobody saw it at the time, so its either a real ghost or (more likely but also more boring) just a bit of digital file corruption." Fans have since shared clips of several other 'ghosts' in the series. One in an underground carpark in episode four, and another in woodland in the background where May is filming outdoors. The six part travel documentary launched on Prime at the beginning of July, seeing May drive around the country enjoying the wine, the sights and culture. James May said it could be a ghost in the background of his new series, or just a digital file corruption.(Prime Video) It follows his 2020 series James May: Our Man in Japan. May signed a contract with Amazon in 2015 after his Top Gear co-host Jeremy Clarkson was suspended by the BBC for punching producer Oisin Tymon in an argument over food while filming on location. He and co-presenters May and Richard Hammond left and signed a deal with Amazon Prime to host new car show The Grand Tour instead. May has spoken several times in recent years about retiring from TV. James May travels around Italy for his new series. (Prime Video) He said recently: "A very close friend of mine died a few weeks ago. He retired early, because hed always had this fear that his family isnt very long-lived, and he wanted to swap possessions for experiences and knowledge. Story continues "Thats what he started doing, but unfortunately he got cancer and it killed him. Read more: Jeremy Clarkson leads celebs accusing weather reporters of scaremongering "It was quite interesting thinking about that after hed gone because it takes a certain amount of courage to say, No, I dont want to telegraph my success and my sophistication. I simply want to have a nice life and contemplate the mystery and wonder of Gods creation." Indie band Japanese Breakfast have canceled their upcoming Main Street Armory show in New York after learning that the venue was set to host the right-wing ReAwaken America tour next month. In a tweet on Friday, Japanese Breakfast, headed by Korean American musician Michelle Zauner, announced that their Sept. 27 performance has been cancelled after several people informed them that they are boycotting the venue. re Rochester show at the Armory. We have cancelled the event because a number of people reached out letting us know they were boycotting the venue because of the Reawaken America tour. We were told the event was cancelled and later learned it was secretly still moving forward. Japanese Breakfast (@Jbrekkie) July 14, 2022 More from NextShark: Steven Yeun, Robert Pattinson to star in Bong Joon-ho sci-fi thriller We have canceled the event because a number of people reached out letting us know they were boycotting the venue because of the Reawaken America tour, Japanese Breakfast wrote. We were told the event was canceled and later learned it was secretly still moving forward. Its a picket line we support and are not interested in crossing, the band wrote in a follow-up tweet. We are unfortunately unable to move the event to a different venue this time but we love Rochester and I am sure we will return someday soon. More from NextShark: Lawmaker proposes free taxi rides and walking buddies trained in martial arts for hate crime targets The Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York, was supposed to be one of the venues of the bands 2022 North American tour. Artists who will be featured during select shows at other venues include Florence and the Machine and The Linda Lindas. Local indie rock band Joywave also announced that they would cancel their Main Street Armory show if the venue were to push through with the ReAwaken America tour. Story continues We reached out directly to the Armory and heard nothing back, the band tweeted on Friday. If the ReAwaken America Tour does take place as scheduled, we will not be playing there in the future. Have heard a few agents behind the scenes feel the same about booking their artists there as well. More from NextShark: Elderly Asian Woman Fights Back After Man Punches Her in the Face in SF To add to this: We reached out directly to the Armory and heard nothing back. If the Reawaken America Tour does take place as scheduled, we will not be playing there in the future. Have heard a few agents behind the scenes feel the same about booking their artists there as well. https://t.co/zv27DePHG8 Joywave (@joywave) July 14, 2022 More from NextShark: Maryland Gov. Hogan announces initiatives to combat anti-Asian hate The ReAwaken America tour, which started in April 2021, was scheduled for a stop in Rochester on Aug. 12 and 13. The event was set to feature far-right speakers such as Michael Flynn and Roger Stone. Flynn, a former aide of ex-President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his interactions with the Russian ambassador and also encouraged Trump to declare martial law after he lost the 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, Stone was found guilty in 2019 of obstructing an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, among other felonies. Flynn and Stone were later pardoned by Trump. In a statement distributed to media outlets on Monday, including Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle, Main Street Armory owner Scott Donaldson announced the venues cancellation of the ReAwaken America event. [In response] to the outpour[ing] of concern from our community, both good and bad, Donaldson wrote, I have decided after careful thought to cancel The ReAwaken America Tour that was scheduled for August 2022. Featured Image via The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Jay Ellis and Nina Senicar Kimberly White/Getty Jay Ellis and Nina Senicar Jay Ellis is married! The actor, known for his roles in Top Gun: Maverick and HBO's Insecure married Nina Senicar in a romantic ceremony in Tuscany, Italy after five years together, per Vogue. Ellis, 40, celebrated the moment with a sweet photo of him and his wife gazing at one another, revealing the wedding date in the caption. "July 9th, 2022 Per sempre ," he wrote using the Italian phrase that means forever. The Serbian actress and advocate, 36, shared the same photo and caption on her own Instagram profile. The newlyweds both donned custom Dolce and Gabbana looks for their big day, with the groom sporting a custom bordeaux tuxedo featuring peak lapels and silk satin trim with a white tuxedo button-up, a release shared with PEOPLE says. The bride opted for a gorgeous white gown with a structured bustier. She added a sultry flare with a gathered skirt and thigh-high split, bringing it all together with white satin strappy sandals. RELATED: Jennifer Lopez's Hairstylist Says Her Wedding Day Look Was 'Less Vegas, and More Timeless' They enjoyed their ceremony at Villa Mangiacane in Tuscany, with vineyards and olive groves making the beautiful scene complete, according to Vogue. Senicar shared the sentimental inspiration behind the location, telling the outlet, "We always knew we wanted to get married in Italy because going there was the first trip we ever took together." Following getting engaged in January 2019, they planned to wed on July 9 that year at the Villa Mangiacane in Tuscany's San Casciano. RELATED: Kourtney Kardashian Shares Her Wedding Beauty Secrets for Looking 'Flawless in Photos' However, the couple was then forced to postpone their dream day due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two then welcomed their first child, daughter Nora Grace, in November 2019. They set their new date for July 2021. Senicar told Vogue, " "As the world slowly started to open up in 2021, we had a family loss that caused us to be away from home for about eight or nine months which resulted in our having to change our plans again. And we finally landed on July 9, 2022." Story continues RELATED VIDEO: Eddie Murphy's Daughter Bria Marries Fiance Michael Xavier in Romantic Beverly Hills Ceremony The pair made light of their changes, telling guests "Third time the charm!" in their invitations, and did much of their planning virtually. Looking back at the day, the actress told the outlet she is "still processing everything," adding, "but I am beyond happy that all of our friends got together to celebrate our love." "We just really wanted everybody to have a good time and get to know each other. And most importantly, dance. We come from two completely different sides of the world, different cultures, and backgrounds, and it was magical to see how all of that got mixed together in such a beautiful and spontaneous way with the people we love the most." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As for what's next, Ellis said he's looking forward to getting plenty of rest, he told the publication. "I just feel like we need a vacation after throwing the craziest three-day party ever. But it was amazing. After everything that everyone has been through over the last few years to bring over 190 people together for three days in Tuscany and celebrate was surreal. "Seeing all of our friends from different parts of our lives together smiling and laughing, connecting, forming their own friendships was such a huge part of what we wanted out of the weekend and the celebration. We wanted to create moments and memories that would last the rest of our lives." Jeremy Clarkson says the solution to the heatwave is to drink more beer. (Getty Images) Jeremy Clarkson has attracted criticism for joking about the heatwave as wildfires rage across Europe. The 62-year-old former Top Gear presenter is on holiday in the South of France where he shrugged off the extreme weather warnings, suggesting the solution was to drink more beer. Clarkson tweeted: "Its very hot in the south of France but so far as I know, theres no DefCon 8 level 3 killer death heatwave warning in place." Read more: Wildfires and droughts ravage Europe as heatwave heads to UK He added: "Ive spent my life working in extreme heat and we survived by having a beer under a tree. Climate change is real. Drink more beer." "Really hot in France this evening. But Ive had a beer and all is well." The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host is on holiday in the South of France. (ITV) The Clarkson's Farm star was hit with a flurry of comments sharing links to news reports about the wildfires in France. Over 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) in the southwestern region of Gironde have been destroyed by flames, and more than 14,000 people have been evacuated, regional authorities said on Sunday afternoon. Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank - who plays vicar Billy Mayhew in the soap - also accused weather reporters of overreacting to the heatwave. Coronation Street star Daniel Brocklebank joined the accusations that weather reporters are 'scaremongering'. (ITV) He shared a meme compiled from infographics of UK weather maps past and present. The past showed a 'Happy and sunshiny' forecast, and the present shows a Red weather warning - which appears to gave been doctored as it covers the whole of the UK. It is captioned, "Total fear mongering". Brocklebank commented: "Anyone remember the good old days?" Anyone remember the good old days? pic.twitter.com/ONG2KHl8C9 Daniel Brocklebank (@Dan_Brocklebank) July 18, 2022 Meanwhile, Lord Sugar pointed out the headlines about the extreme weather had overshadowed reports of the ongoing war in Ukraine. He tweeted: "The news on all TV channels is all about the heatwave. Emergency proccedures and hints that people should not go into work (as if they need no promting) It seems death of children in Ukraine has taken second place. [sic]" Story continues Meteorologist Laura Tobin defended her claims that extreme weather reports have saved lives. (ITV) And Good Morning Britain weather presenter Laura Tobin hit back at a troll who sent her an abusive message for claiming that the extreme weather warnings had saved thousands of lives. Read more: Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm restaurant panned as 'overpriced and pub quality' Meteorologist Tobin retorted: "People being able to plan-Care homes and pre schools getting air conditioning units, people not travelling on trains/tubes and people staying inside so they don't overheat-yes 1000's of lives have been saved!" In contrast GB News presenter Bev Turner told a weather reporter to "be happy" about the heatwave. GB News presenter Beverley Turner told a meteorologist he was a 'harbinger of doom'. (PA) Meteorologist John Hammond told her in an interview: "I think therell be hundreds, if not thousands of excess deaths. The charts I can see in front of me are frightening, so we all like nice weather, but this will not be nice weather this will be potentially lethal weather, for a couple of days. It will be brief, but it will be brutal. Turner replied: "I want us to be happy about the weather. I dont know whether somethings happened to meteorologists to make you all a little bit fatalistic and harbingers of doom." Watch: Wildfires have ravaged southwest France The first lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, met with the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, at the White House on Tuesday. Upon her arrival in the afternoon, Zelenska, 44, received a warm welcome from Dr. Biden, 71, and her husband, President Joe Biden, who handed a bouquet of flowers to their special guest. Biden and Zelenska embraced each other before the group posed for a photo and walked inside together. The private meeting between the first ladies took place during Zelenska's visit to Washington, D.C. to "highlight the human cost of Russia's aggression against Ukraine," according to the White House. RELATED: Ukraine's First Lady Takes a Stand amid Russian Invasion: 'I Will Not Have Panic and Tears' The two spoke about "the United States' continued support for the government of Ukraine and its people as they defend their democracy and cope with the significant human impacts of Russia's war, which will be felt for years to come." President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, greet Olena Zelenska, spouse of Ukrainian's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, left, at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) AP Photo/Andrew Harnik Following the private gathering, Zelenska attended an expanded bilateral meeting hosted by the U.S. first lady with other officials, including second gentleman Doug Emhoff, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Isobel Coleman, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Toria Nuland and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. RELATED: Senate Unanimously Confirms New Ambassador to Ukraine as US Reopens Embassy in Kyiv Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, left, joins first lady Jill Biden, second from left, as they greet Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, right, before they sit down together in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Also pictured is U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, fourth from left, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Toria Nuland, third from left, and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) AP Photo/Andrew Harnik The bilateral meeting discussed "how the United States can continue to alleviate suffering through support and humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people, and the need to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and other atrocities." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. TOPSHOT - US First lady Jill Biden (L) offers flowers to Ukraine President wife Olena Zelenska, outside of School 6, a public school that has taken in displaced students in Uzhhorod on May 8, 2022, during an unannounced visit of Jill Biden to Ukraine on the sidelines of an official trip in nearby Slovakia. (Photo by Susan Walsh / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SUSAN WALSH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) SUSAN WALSH/POOL/AFP via Getty Story continues Zelenska and Biden first met in person during her surprise visit to Ukraine in May to show support for the country during its ongoing war with Russia. They met on Mother's Day in Uzhhorod, a small city in western Ukraine near the Slovakian border, at a school housing individuals affected by the war. RELATED: Jill Biden Makes Surprise Visit to Ukraine and Greets Its First Lady on Mother's Day: 'This War Has to Stop' When welcoming Zelenska at the White House, Biden reflected on her visit to Ukraine in her speech. For more on President Biden, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. "One of the things that I said when I came back was you cannot go into a war and come back and not feel the sorrow and pain," she told reporters on Tuesday. Zelenska's visit to the U.S. comes after her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced the dismissal of two top officials over the weekend, claiming that many in their departments are suspected of treason. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and Head of State Security Service Ivan Bakanov a longtime friend of Zelenskyy are the leaders who were suspended on Sunday. RELATED: Zelenskyy Dismisses Top Security Chief and General Prosecutor For Suspected Treason "Today I made a decision to remove the Prosecutor General from office and to dismiss the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine," Zelenskyy, 44, addressed their removal in a video. He also added Ukraine had launched investigations against employees from the two departments over "treason and collaboration activities," according to The New York Times. The publication reported Zelenskyy explained the proceedings have posed "very serious questions to the relevant leadership" and that everyone who had "worked in the interests of the Russian Federation will also be held accountable." Former President Carter and former White House chief of staff James Baker penned an op-ed calling for reforms to the 1887 law that governs the counting of Electoral College votes, arguing that the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot is the latest example of why change is necessary. The duos op-ed, published in The Wall Street Journal on Monday evening, provides support to ongoing negotiations being led by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to reform the Electoral Count Act in the wake of the Capitol riot, when then-Vice President Mike Pence was pressured to exploit the statutes ambiguities to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The threat of confusion remains, Carter and Baker wrote. Left unclosed, loopholes in the act could allow a repeat of the same destructive path that occurred in 2021. Multiple outlets have reported that the bipartisan group of senators is expected to release their proposed reforms this week. The piece by Carter, a Democratic president, and Baker, who served as chief of staff under Republican Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, highlights that bipartisan support. We stand on opposite sides of the partisan divide, but we believe it is better to search for solutions together than to remain divided, the two wrote. This is particularly true of a vexing problem that could wreak havoc during the 2024 presidential election: the inadequacy of the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Carter and Baker called the act potentially unconstitutional, antiquated and muddled, pointing to efforts by a limited number of lawmakers who attempted to mount objections to the Electoral College votes after the 2000, 2004 and 2016 elections. The act became law 10 years after several states submitted competing slates of electoral votes during the disputed Reconstruction-era election of 1876, they wrote. It spawned no controversy for the next 30 presidential elections. Weaknesses in the law started to become apparent after the 2000 election. Story continues But perhaps most notable is the 2020 election, when Trump and his allies pressured Pence to overturn the election results in his role as president of the Senate on Jan. 6, 2021, when the Electoral College votes were counted. In a now-infamous memo written by attorney John Eastman, he outlined a strategy for Pence to block the counting of votes from states in which Trump was putting forth unfounded claims of election fraud. Pence ultimately rejected that he had the authority to do so, but the developments have led some lawmakers to draw concerns over how the law could be exploited in the future. The need to reform the Electoral Count Act is too great for our elected leaders to get bogged down in the zero-sum game of politics that characterizes Washington today, Carter and Baker wrote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Podcaster Joe Rogan escalated his beef with former President Donald Trump on a recent episode AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File Joe Rogan is stepping up his beef with former President Donald Trump. Rogan called Trump a "man baby" and "existential threat to democracy" in a recent episode. "He's a fucking toddler. He's a toddler, that's exactly how I talk to my kids," guest Tom Segura said. Top podcaster Joe Rogan escalated his feud with former President Donald Trump, calling him "an existential threat to democracy" and a "man-baby" on drugs in a recent episode of the "Joe Rogan Experience." Rogan, one of the most influential podcast hosts in the US, recently said that he would never have Trump on his show. "I don't want to help him," he said. "I'm not interested in helping him." Rogan has also praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a possible 2024 Republican presidential contender and Trump rival. In an episode of the "Joe Rogan Experience" that aired Thursday, Rogan and guest Tom Segura discussed Trump's energy levels and recovery from COVID-19 in October of 2020 after receiving monoclonal antibody treatment and speculated about his use of Adderall. "You gotta remember, Trump is fat and old. And four days after he was like, campaigning and waving to people here for days, that's pretty impressive," Rogan said. "That's when I lost all my fear of the disease, I was like, I just need to get what that guy got...he thinks of his body like a battery, and he thinks when you exercise, you lose energy." "One thing that is incredible about that guy, even when you watch him as president was that he was full of fucking energy, full of it, every day, and they say slept like four hours a night," Segura said. "He's on Adderall!" Rogan said. "Do you think he's on Adderall?" Segura then claimed that Trump was "gassed up" for shoots on "The Apprentice" because he had trouble reading. "He gets very bored. He would get bored at the CIA briefing in the mornings...they would have to make it more engaging for him," Segura said. The New York Times and Washington Post have reported that Trump did not read his Presidential Daily Briefings and preferred looking at visuals and graphs. Segura also referenced how Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was known to "sandwich" bad news between good news for Trump. Story continues "He's a man baby," Rogan said, laughing. "He's a fucking toddler. He's a toddler, that's exactly how I talk to my kids about shit," Segura said. Earlier in the show, Rogan and Segura mocked Trump for his history of repeatedly clashing with Forbes over his placement on the 400 wealthiest Americans list, and for posing as a publicist, "John Barron," in his efforts to convince Forbes of his wealth throughout the 1980s. "There's almost a part of you that goes, 'It's always hilarious when someone doesn't give a fuck that much,'" Segura said. "If he weren't an existential threat to democracy and the power that he wields over his minions wasn't just so disturbing, it'd be hilarious. If he wasn't in line for president, if he was just a baller...remember when he was in those videos, those rap songs? They were always referencing Trump, he was the man," Rogan said. Read the original article on Business Insider A federal judge on Tuesday upheld former Paterson police Sgt. Michael Cheffs conviction on conspiracy and false record charges in the FBIs case against the robbery squad of rogue cops. Cheffs lawyers had argued that the United States Attorneys Office failed to present sufficient evidence to support a guilty verdict against him, and that there were procedural errors during the trial. But the judge, Katharine Hayden, rejected Cheffs request for a new trial and to have the jurys guilty verdict set aside. In the aftermath of Haydens decision, Cheff and the five crooked cops he supervised Jonathan Bustios, Daniel Pent, Eudy Ramos, Frank Toledo and Matthew Torres are scheduled for sentencing in September. Cheffs five underlings testified against their sergeant during the trial, saying they took money from people they illegally stopped and searched while patrolling Paterson, sometimes assaulting their victims. They testified that Cheff coached them on how to conceal their crimes, signed off on their false reports and in some instances took a share of the stolen money. Paterson Police Sgt. Michael Cheff, is shown seconds after walking out of federal court, in Newark. Cheff was there after being arrested by the FBI Tuesday morning, January 7, 2020. Cheff is the eighth member of the Paterson Police Department to get arrested in a corruption probe which started more than three years ago. Cheff is currently suspended without pay. In exchange for their testimony against Cheff, the other convicted cops were promised the possibility of lighter prison sentences. The court cannot usurp the jurys role, Hayden said in rendering her decision. Cheffs attorney, John Lynch, maintained that the only evidence against the sergeant was the testimony from the previously convicted cops, who he said lacked credibility. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kearney asserted that the rogue officers testimony was supported by the text messages they sent among themselves at the time of the crime, as well as the testimony from a drug dealer whose money they took. PatersonVeterans clinic may get reprieve after 12 U.S. senators weigh in Paterson policeCritics see long road ahead for Paterson police force tarnished by 'robbery squad' trial The judge noted that Lynch during the trial aggressively bloodied the crooked cops in his cross-examination, saying his efforts could not have been more forceful. Hayden said that despite Lynchs attacks on the five rogues credibility, the jury found their testimony sufficient to convict Cheff. The judge said she would not make herself the 13th juror and overturn what the 12 jurors had concluded. Story continues Lynchs main argument over trial errors focused on the fact that the jury ended up rendering its verdict on a Thursday night just before the Memorial Day weekend. Cheffs lawyer noted that the jury found Cheff guilty of the conspiracy charge less than an hour after sending the judge a note saying it was at an impasse. He said that change indicated there was undue pressure among the jurors to reach a verdict. But the prosecutor, Kearney, attributed the jurys change of mind to a deliberative process that evolved. Hayden agreed with the U.S. attorneys assessment, noting that the jury had been attentive during the multi-day trial. The judge dismissed as speculation Lynchs assertions that the verdict was tainted by the impending holiday weekend.We dont know what goes on in jury rooms, Hayden said about the confidentiality of those deliberations. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ police sergeant is denied request for new trial A boy was shot in the leg in McKees Rocks late Monday night. Allegheny County police were notified of the shooting in the 700 block of Mary Street around 11:24 p.m. When first responders arrived, they found a juvenile male who was shot in the leg. Police did not specify the boys age. They also found evidence of the shooting in the area. The boy was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. Allegheny County police detectives are investigating. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the County Police Tip Line 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Fayette, Washington counties now at medium-risk level for COVID-19 Acrisure Stadium: Crews starting to remove Heinz Field signage Woman charged for allegedly assaulting, abusing resident in Churchill health facility VIDEO: Gas prices in Pittsburgh region remain higher than national average, Philadelphia-area prices DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts House members have filed nearly 750 proposals as they take a second shot at bringing home tax dollars for local projects and programs. Lawmakers faced a Friday deadline for filing requests to tap into a new $80 million pot of money, called Local Support Grants, included in the state budget that took effect July 1. Gov. Ron DeSantis last month vetoed dozens of projects and programs from the budget. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] But the pot of money was tucked away separately in the budget, setting up a new process for lawmakers to seek tax dollars. The 747 proposals filed before the deadline seek $634.5 million and, in many cases, try to revive spending that DeSantis vetoed. Legislative leaders have released little information about the program. But the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which is made up of House and Senate members, will have two months to decide which proposals to approve. Senate spokeswoman Katie Betta said if senators wanted to pursue money, they had to work with House members from the areas they jointly represent. As an example of the proposals that correspond to items DeSantis vetoed, Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, is seeking $10,000 for the Weston Music Society to bring in professional musicians to local elementary schools. DeSantis vetoed a similar $12,000 line item from the budget (SB 2500). Read: Governor, other GOP leaders slam Erick Aguilar for allegedly raising money with deceptive emails On the high end, Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, requested $9.25 million for a 2.6-mile multi-use path leading to Fort Island in Citrus County. Massullos proposal matches money that DeSantis slashed from the budget. Overall, DeSantis vetoed $3.1 billion in spending from what turned into a $109.9 billion budget but didnt explain the reasons for most individual vetoes. Among the lawmakers seeking to revive vetoed proposals is House Appropriations Chairman Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican who helps chair the Legislative Budget Commission and is running for a state Senate seat. Story continues Trumbull filed 12 proposals that would total $16.7 million, including seeking $215,050 so the public-radio station WKGC can replace an aging generator, transfer switch and fuel tank at the Bay County Emergency Operations Center. DeSantis last month vetoed $187,000 for the WKGC upgrades. During Hurricane Michael, WKGC staff sheltered in place and broadcast 24/7 directly from the County EOC providing Bay and surrounding counties with pertinent information gathered from Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, state and county officials, Trumbulls proposal said. We were the only broadcaster left on the air, and our generator ran for weeks. Republicans, who dominate the Legislature, accounted for 540 of the proposals, totaling $498.7 million. Among those proposals were 64 measures, worth $70.2 million, that matched items vetoed by DeSantis. With 207 proposals totaling $135.85 million, Democrats made 29 requests that corresponded to $8.2 million in DeSantis vetoes. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Rian Johnson hasnt revealed many details about his upcoming Peacock mystery-drama series Poker Face, but co-star Lil Rel Howery dropped some hints tonight on the red carpet for the premiere of Jordan Peeles Nope. Howery, who headlined the 2018-19 Fox sitcom Rel, isnt out for laughs this time. More from Deadline Aw, that was fun to do, he told Deadline about Poker Face. I just finished it like a month ago. So its not comedy, its straight dramatic. You dont see me in a villain role a lot of times. Its very villainous, and I enjoyed everything about it. Pressed for details, Howery backpedaled a bit, saying the character is the villainous type. Creepy Amusement Park Set From Jordan Peeles Nope Opening On Universal Studios Tour Day And Date With Film Howery - Credit: Natalie Sitek/Deadline Natalie Sitek/Deadline Type, yeah thats all Im gonna say. I probably shouldnt have said that, he added with a big laugh. See the clip below. The anthology-like Poker Faces cast also includes Natasha Lyonne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, Benjamin Bratt, David Castaneda, Dascha Polanco, Chloe Sevigny, Ellen Barkin, S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light. Writer-director-EP Johnson (Knives Out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) has described the 10-episode series as a fun, character driven, case-of-the-week mystery, but other details remain under wraps. Ram Bergman, Nena Rodrigue and Lyonne also serve as EPs on the 10-episode series from MRC Television, which was ordered in March 2021. Nope First Look: Jordan Peeles Latest Film For Universal Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun & More Lil Rel Howery will go against type as a villainous character in Rian Johnsons Peacock series Poker Face pic.twitter.com/UsMIitd8o7 Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) July 19, 2022 Natalie Sitek contributed to this report. Story continues Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Los Angeles County encouraged its residents to comply with health safety measures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in a statement released on Monday, despite confirming only three hospitalizations for COVID at the LAC and University of Southern California Medical Center. "At the current time, approximately 10 percent of patients admitted to LAC+USC Medical Center with a positive COVID test are admitted due to illness caused by COVID," the county said. "In contrast to our peak during the winter of 2020, when we had 285 COVID+ patients in the hospital, 120 of whom were in the ICU, we currently have approximately 30 COVID+ patients in the hospital, of whom 3 were admitted for COVID, none of whom are in the ICU." Los Angeles County attributed the low figures at the 600-bed hospital to a high vaccination rate and underscored the importance of following health safety precautions. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 30: Registered nurse (RN) Elle Lauron cares for a COVID-19 patient in the improvised COVID-19 unit at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills neighborhood on July 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images "The widespread vaccination coverage in Los Angeles County is critical to protecting against severe disease, hospitalization, and death," the city added. TWITTER CRITICS NOTE OMISSION IN BIDEN MESSAGE ON HOW COVID-19 HURT STUDENTS: 'THIS WAS POLITICS RELATED' "The COVID-19 pandemic remains a very serious public health threat that we must continue to fight with every tool available, including vaccines, masking, social distancing, and treatment," LA County said in the statement. Pasadena, CA - July 23: People both masked and unmasked walks along Colorado blvd after a mandate to wear a mask indoors has gone into affect in Pasadena on Friday, July 23, 2021. Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images PEDIATRIC HEPATITIS OUTBREAK CASES ARE NOT ABOVE PRE-COVID-19 PANDEMIC LEVELS: CDC The release comes as the LA County Department of Health announced it will be reinstating its mask mandate. "Rising rates of infection are extremely concerning, as the more people who become infected, the greater the probability that ICU admissions for COVID-19 will rise in the future," the county continued. The county is witnessing a recent spike in positive tests from residents, it said. "As a safety precaution for our staff and our other patients, all admissions to the hospital are tested for COVID, irrespective of the reason for admission. In the course of this testing, we are seeing a steady number of patients return a positive result," the county added. "This is due to both high community transmission rates in Los Angeles County, as well as the fact that a person who has recovered from COVID019 can continue to test positive on a PCR test for months, even when they are no longer actively infected." Story continues COVID-19 PANDEMIC 'FAR FROM OVER,' WHO SAYS LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 25: A sign displays the types of COVID-19 vaccination doses available at a Walgreens mobile bus clinic on June 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images The statement also addressed a controversial video circulating online that shared much of the same information from a virtual town hall on July 14, without additional context. The video is being politicized to suggest the pandemic is no longer serious. The county concluded residents should use "vigilance and common-sense precautions" when traveling, working, or interacting with others as "the pandemic is still ongoing and unpredictable." A man claiming to be Drakes son broke into the rappers $75m Beverly Hills mansion last week, Los Angeles police said. On Tuesday (19 July), it was reported that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was called to Drakes property on Friday (15 July) after one of his employees spotted an intruder near the pool house. In a statement toTMZ, the LAPD said that, when questioned, the 23-year-old man claimed Drake, 35, was his father and that he was waiting for the Gods Plan hitmaker to return home. However, he was later arrested on trespassing charges. The Independent has reached out to a representative of Drake for comment. Drake was not at his new home, which he bought from Robbie Williams earlier this year, at the time of the reported break-in. The Grammy winner has been spending time in Europe as per his latest Instagram posts. Representatives for Drake had earlier denied a false rumour that the artist was arrested in Sweden. Free Drake began trending on social media late last Thursday (14 July), as fans shared the unsubstantiated claim that he had been arrested at a nightclub on cannabis-related charges. Huffington Post journalist Philip Lewis quoted Drakes team as saying: Drake is at his hotel and has not been arrested. Drake was also recently seen joining the Backstreet Boys on stage in Toronto for a live rendition of the 1999 hit I Want It That Way. The rapper, who was born and raised in Toronto, shared his own memory of I Want It That Way, telling audiences that was the first time I ever felt like I had a shot at being cool. LAFAYETTE, Ind. Just as police and firefighters learned a man and a child were trapped inside a burning house, Nick Bostic appeared backlit by flames and walking toward first responders with the 6-year-old in his arms. The 25-year-old Indiana man is being hailed as a hero after entering a home engulfed in flames last week and saving the lives of five children trapped inside the house in Lafayette, Indiana. Police body-worn video released July 14 shows an officer taking the crying girl from his arms as Bostic winded, wheezing and wounded sits on the curb and says, "I need oxygen." Self-inflicted fire: A man said his camper was set on fire over a Trump flag Here's what it looks like: An iconic Yosemite sequoia grove under threat by fire In the video, an officer helps Bostic to his feet and takes him to the other side of the street, where Bostic lies in the grass while an officer applies a tourniquet to his right arm, which is bleeding. Nicholas Bostic is seen on a police body cam video carrying a 6-year-old girl from a burning house early Monday, July 11, 2022. Bostic was driving about 12:30 a.m. when he saw the house on fire. He stopped and got four people out. He went back into the burning house to get the girl. "I can barely breathe," Bostic says on the video. He asks: "Is the baby OK? Please tell me the baby's OK." Someone off-camera assures him the girl is fine. Bostic got four people out of the house about 12:30 a.m. on July 11, then reentered the inferno to find the 6-year-old girl upstairs, police said. The fire trapped Bostic and the girl on the second floor, and he jumped from the window with the girl in his arms. The girl suffered only a minor cut to her foot, police said. The fire started on the front porch and is believed to have been caused by ashes emptied into a bucket before they were extinguished, according to the fire department's investigation. Bostic suffered smoke inhalation and a cut to his arm. He was taken to Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis. Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski, the Lafayette Fire Department and Lafayette Police Department will recognize Bostic's actions publicly at a Lafayette Aviators game part of a summer collegiate baseball league on Aug. 2, which also is National Night Out, when law enforcement and communities come together to recognize their beneficial relationships. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to an online fundraising campaign for Bostic. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Indiana driver Nick Bostic rescues 5 children from burning home Opening statements kicked off Monday in the trial of a man and his father charged in connection with the disappearance of Kristin Smart, a former Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student, more than 25 years ago. The men are being tried separately with two different juries but at the same time. KCRA 3's Ty Steele spoke with defense attorney Mark Reichel about why both trials would happen at the same time. Reichel answered, explaining that is all about efficiency. See the interview below. Massachusetts representatives Ayanna Pressley and Katherine Clark were among more than 30 people who were arrested Tuesday at a rally in support of abortion rights that was held outside of the United States Supreme Court. In a statement, a spokesperson for Pressleys office said that she was taken into custody while participating in a non-violent civil disobedience in support of abortion of rights. Today, Congresswoman Pressley joined her colleagues and grassroots advocates for a non-violent civil disobedience to protest the Supreme Courts cruel and callous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and strip away abortion rights for everyone who calls America home, said Pressley spokesperson Ricardo A. Sanchez. She, along with several of her colleagues, was arrested as part of the peaceful demonstration and is currently in custody of the U.S. Capitol Police. We will share more information as soon as it becomes available. Just now, @RepPressley arrested protesting on the steps of the Supreme Court for abortion rights pic.twitter.com/Lh0US0BvbX mae | (@maeldahshoury) July 19, 2022 Video shared on Twitter showed Pressley being escorted away by a police officer. She could seen carrying a sign that read, My body, my choice. In a tweet, Clark also confirmed that she was arrested. The extremist Republicans are determined to take us back in time and take away our rights, Clark wrote. They can arrest me, but we wont allow them to arrest freedom. The extremist Republicans are determined to take us back in time and take away our rights. They can arrest me, but we wont allow them to arrest freedom. #AbortionIsHealthcare #BansOffOurBodies pic.twitter.com/EhywtkojrM Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) July 19, 2022 Thirty-four people, including 16 members of Congress, were arrested on charges including crowding, obstructing, or incommoding, according to U.S. Capitol Police. Story continues Police noted that they warned protesters who were blocking traffic before taking them into custody. There were no additional details immediately available. UPDATE: We made a total of 34 arrests for Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding (DC Code 221307). That arrest number includes 16 Members of Congress. U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) July 19, 2022 This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Eve Lauder is making the most of life after being diagnosed with cancer. (Getty Images) Eve Lauder, a 47-year-old police officer, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, was shocked to discover she had an advanced form of Goblet cell carcinoma, a rare cancer also known as GCC. According to rarediseases.org, GCC affects just one in every two million people. Lauders nightmare began when she started suffering from 'menopausal' aches and pains around May 2020. I started experiencing period-like pain in my abdomen it was a shooting pain through my stomach every now and then, she says. Read more: Bowel cancer survivor credits Deborah James with helping her cope with diagnosis Lauder knew something was wrong but admitted that she ignored the first warning signs. At first I brushed it off. I thought I must be going through the menopause but after seven months, the pain hadnt shifted," she says. "There wasnt any big indicator or glowing red sign that something was seriously wrong, but I knew my own body, and I knew I needed to go to the doctors. Lauder booked an appointment in mid-November 2020 and was sent for further tests at Weston General Hospital. The [doctors] were stumped and, at first. They thought it was endometriosis but that was then disregarded, Lauder explains. And after more tests and a biopsy, she was called back to the hospital in mid-December 2020. Lauder raised over 30,000 for Cancer Research UK. (PA Real Life) Lauder was diagnosed with stage four Goblet cell carcinoma, which according to the NHS, is a rare and aggressive type of tumour that almost exclusively affects the appendix which explained her abdominal pains. And sadly, doctors told her that she only had six to 12 months to live. Read more: Mum faces breast cancer diagnosis while pregnant despite double mastectomy It was devastating, but I was determined to fight the illness, Lauder says. She began chemotherapy at Weston General Hospital in a bid to slow down the progression of the cancer, and made a bucket list of all the things she wanted to do. There were festivals I wanted to go to and places Ive never been. Ive always really wanted to visit Germany so I added that to the list. Since making the list, Ive been to the Bahamas, Menorca and Mallorca. Story continues I went to Glastonbury last month with a friend and, even though I was going through chemo during the festival, taking eight tablets a day, I had an amazing time, Lauder adds. Since her diagnosis, Lauder has raised over 30,000 for Cancer Research UK and in June 2022, she was chosen to carry the Queens baton in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. It was a really proud moment," she smiles. "I was nominated by my sister and friends and, on the day, I carried the baton 200 metres to the next person. It was a huge honour. Lauder has defied doctors' expectations that she would die before the end of 2021 and is now living her action-packed 'best life'. (PA Real Life) Lauder was also a Pride of Britain semi-finalist for the south west and, in between treatments of chemo, she took part in Race for Life, mixing running and walking to complete the 5km race. Now, Lauder is determined to stay positive and focused on the future. There is a possibility that a clinical trial could come up that Im eligible for. That would be the last hope of stopping the progression of my cancer, she explains. But I have already beaten the prognosis I was initially given and I dont plan on slowing down. Lauder continues to keep busy during chemotherapy treatments, which alternates two weeks on tablets and one week off, using her spare time to make care packages for other cancer patients at her local hospital. Lauder took part in the Race for Life and has hosted events of her own to raise money for Cancer Research UK. (PA Real Life) When told youll need chemo, you expect all of the obvious side effects hair loss, fatigue and sickness. But there are other effects that people often dont talk about. Cold hands, dry lips, a constant metal taste in your mouth, she admits. Read more: Honour Dame Deborah James with the 'Rebellious Hope' charity T-shirt she designed So I make oncology packages for people going through chemo and they are full of things like lip balm, suncream and hand warmers. Its just my way of giving back. And when she is not helping others, Lauder is ticking things off her bucket list and making the most of life. Im spending as much time as I can with my grandson in between the trips Im taking. Next week, Im off to a micro festival before going on a trip to Germany. Once Im back, Im going to London for an Abba weekend with some friends. Life is full of adventure and opportunity for me and Im grabbing it with both hands, she says. Watch: NHS Chemotherapy Drugs To Be Delivered By Drone In First Of Its Kind Trial Nina Senicar, from left, and Jay Ellis; Malcolm McRae and Anya Taylor-Joy. (Vivien Killilea / Getty Images; Vianney Le Caer / Invision / AP) Flashy, highly publicized weddings seem to be a thing of the past for Hollywood stars. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck made headlines this week for their hush-hush Las Vegas ceremony, but they weren't the only celebrities to have secret unions in July. "Insecure's" Jay Ellis and "The Queen's Gambit" actor Anya Taylor-Joy both secretly wed their significant others in low-key ceremonies. On Monday, Jay Ellis revealed that he tied the knot with Serbian actor and advocate Nina Senicar with a grand ceremony July 9 in Italy. "July 9th, 2022... Per sempre," the actor captioned his Instagram post. "Per sempre" translates to "forever" in English. Senicar shared the same post on her account. According to Vogue, which shared the news Monday, Ellis and Senicar married in Villa Mangiacane, nearly seven years after they met. Ellis proposed to Senicar in January 2019. Their original wedding date of July 9, 2020, was postponed twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, Page Six reported that Taylor-Joy quietly wed musician Malcolm McRae. Neither revealed their marriage on social media, but Page Six reported that the couple married in a courthouse ceremony before heading to Australia, where Taylor-Joy would be filming "Furiosa." The website said that the couple was seen Monday in Sydney with Taylor-Joy donning her engagement ring. Sources told Page Six that Taylor-Joy and McRae will host a larger ceremony when they return to the United States. Back in April, Taylor-Joy told British Vogue that in McRae, she "finally found someone who will happily sit in silence with me reading. We're basically 80 years old and 7 at the same time and it works really well." Representatives for Taylor-Joy did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment. Other couples who quietly tied the knot this year include "Power of the Dog" co-stars Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons and musician Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian. And "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" actor Elizabeth Olsen and musician Robbie Arnett revealed just last month that after getting engaged in 2019, they had eloped before the COVID-19 pandemic. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. BANGKOK (AP) Scattered pro-democracy rallies were held across military-ruled Myanmar on Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the assassination of the independence hero and father of the countrys civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in last years military takeover. The protests generally dispersed within a short time to avoid confrontations with security forces. Since the army took power and detained Suu Kyi and thousands of supporters, 2,091 civilians including poets, activists, politicians and others had been killed in the crackdown, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The opposition National Unity Government, which was established by elected lawmakers and considers itself the countrys legitimate administration, broadcast a livestream of the commemoration ceremony on social media. Mahn Winn Khaing Thann, the shadow prime minister of the government that the ruling military considers a terrorist organization, promised to fight until freedom is restored in Myanmar. I would like to reiterate that the entire population, including monks, students, and youth, can only exercise their freedom of choice and fully enjoy their rights after ending the military dictatorship and restoring democracy, he said. Gen. Aung San was 32 when he was gunned down by a group of armed men in uniform in Yangon, the countrys biggest city. A political rival, former Prime Minister U Saw, was tried and hanged for plotting the assassination less than six months before the country, then called Burma, achieved its independence from British colonial rule. In Yangon, neighborhoods heard wailing sirens and car horns bellowing out for one minute at 10:37 a.m., the time of the 1947 attack that also killed six Cabinet members and two other officials. Photos and videos showed protesters carrying banners and chanting Eradicate racism, there are more than nine martyrs in Yangon. An annual official ceremony was held at Martyrs Mausoleum in Yangon, near the foot of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda. Story continues Neither Suu Kyi, who is under arrest, nor Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who heads the ruling military council, attended the event. The highest-ranking official there was Vice-Senior Gen. Soe Win, vice chairman of the military council. An official of the ceremonys subcommittee laid a wreath on behalf of Suu Kyis family. Suu Kyi, 77, has not been seen in public apart from one photo shown on state television in May 2021, taken inside a court at the start of criminal proceedings against her. Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and was transferred from a secret detention location to a custom-built solitary facility at a prison in the capital Naypyitaw last month. She is being tried on a slew of legal cases brought by the military. Her supporters and independent analysts say the charges are politically motivated and an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the militarys seizure of power. The historic secretariat office building where the 1947 attack took place, and Bogyoke Aung San Museum, the last residence of Aung San and his family before his assassination, were reopened to the public under strict safety protocols after being closed for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents who live near the sites said security was tight and few visitors were seen on nearby roads coming to pay respects. Alan Fletcher says Motorhead's Phil Campbell is a big Neighbours fan. (Fremantle/Getty) Neighbours' Alan Fletcher has spent nearly 30 years as Ramsay Street doctor Karl Kennedy and during that time has built up a huge fan base - including some celebrity admirers. The Australian soap is due to end on 29 July after 37 years on screen and Fletcher has shared his favourite moment meeting a celebrity fan of the show. Read more: What happened to these famous Neighbours cast members? Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell made a surprise visit to the Neighbours set in 2007, ahead of a concert with his heavy metal band in Melbourne. Fletcher said of meeting the Welsh musician: Probably my favourite fan interaction between somebody in music and Neighbours is Phil Campbell from Motorhead. Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher are bidding goodbye to Neighbours. (C5/Fremantle Media) Phils a great mate and he loves Neighbours. So, when he came to Australia on tour, he asked if he could come to set. He sat in as an extra in one of Tonys weddings. Im not sure if he ever made it to air, but he was with us the whole day. Read more: Neighbours' Guy Pearce and Jason Donovan still call each other Mike and Scott And then we all rushed off to the Motorhead gig that night and met Lemmy backstage, which was marvellous. Phils remained a firm friend who I correspond with regularly since then. He goes on stage and shreds the guitar, playing heavy metal music, and then comes out and expresses his love of Neighbours. Its always been a wonderful, wonderful dichotomy! Motorhead's Phil Campbell is a big fan of the soap. (Redferns via Getty Images) Fletcher added that he'd found fans of the soap all over the world - including on a trip to Iceland, where he found the show had a dedicated following. He said of visiting the country: Ive enjoyed some great fun there. I remember once I walked into a petrol station in the middle of nowhere, it was freezing cold. Its very icy and dark, of course. We got ourselves a hot dog and fries, sat down at the table, looked up and Neighbours was on the telly. Neighbours airs its finale as a double bill on 29 July at 9pm on Channel 5. Watch: Guy Pearce talks reminiscing with Jason Donovan about their Neighbours days The recent pink-slipping of hundreds of employees cost Netflix a bundle, with more likely to come. Todays second-quarter earnings letter to shareholders revealed the streamer paid out $70 million in severance costs. Hit by subscriber losses for the first time as well as plunging stock prices, Netflix has laid off about 475 staffers in the past three months. More from Deadline Netflix Q2 Earnings Report: Deadlines Full Coverage As is often the case in unstable situations like what the platform run by Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos find itself in of late, the layoffs came in waves. First to go in April were about two dozen editorial staffers and contractors at the streamers much-hyped Tudum fan site. That initial restructuring, as such layoffs commonly are blandly termed, was followed in May by the axing of about 150 positions out of the streamers total workforce of 11,000 as a consequence of the slowdown in the companys revenue growth. Last month saw the biggest purging with another 300 staffers shown the door. While we continue to invest significantly in the business, we made these adjustments so that our costs are growing in line with our slower revenue growth, said a company spokesperson on June 23. We are so grateful for everything they have done for Netflix and are working hard to support them through this difficult transition. Netflix To Launch Advertising Tier In Early Part Of 2023 In the process of rightsizing our office footprint, to quote the bloodless corporate jargon Netflix used in todays earnings letter, the streamer also raked up $80 million in non-cash impairment of certain real estate leases this quarter. Story continues More layoffs are anticipated for the company with subscriber losses piling up. Losing but winning, Netflix said today that it shed only 970,000 subscribers in Q2. That beats the companys own guidance of earlier this year of a loss of 2 million subscribers in this quarter. Losing fewer than a million subscribers also exceeded Wall Streets expectations. Having seen 200,000 subscribers exit in Q1, Netflix now is boasting that it will gain about 1 million paying subscribers in Q3 no doubt due in no small part to the success of the two-part fourth blockbuster season of Stranger Things. Best of Deadline Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos by Netflix Im finally ready to admit something: Netflix and I have a toxic relationship. There are days when I love it, of course. When I need my Breaking Bad or Seinfeld fix, or when a new season of I Think You Should Leave or Love Is Blind drops, Netflix is my boo. But there are just as many days when it hurts me so, so deeply. Like today, for instance, when Netflix revealed who would be playing the character of Kazuma Kuwabara in its live-action adaptation of the anime Yu Yu Hakusho. Japanese actor Shuhei Uesugi has landed the important role, and I cant think of anyone less well-suited. But bad casting shouldnt surprise meNetflix has never nailed the anime-to-live-action translation, and it never will. EXCLUSIVE: IGN can reveal that Kazuma Kuwabara will be played by Shuhei Uesugi in the upcoming adaptation of Netflix's Yu Yu Hakusho! https://t.co/jBaVdr79t2 pic.twitter.com/Pg5OCYydhU IGN (@IGN) July 19, 2022 In Yu Yu Hakushoan action-comedy about a high school delinquent who dies and then comes back to life with a mission from the Underworld to take down demons and whatnotKuwabara is our hero Yusuke Urameshis best frenemy. Hes a loud-mouthed jerk who loves to pick fights, although it turns out to all be posturing; he loves kittens and ultimately wants to be good to people. In the original anime, Kuwabara is the least attractive member of the otherwise very hot cast of characters. Hes designed to have a square head, sunken-in eyes, and a garishly stiff red pompadour. His face is usually adorned with band-aids. Hes not cute! But, as I texted my friend earlier today, Netflixs take on Kuwabara is hot as heck. Have you seen a photo of Shuhei Uesugi?! Why is he hot. I wrote to my friend Patrick, a fellow Yu Yu Hakusho fan, immediately after seeing the casting news. WHY IS HE HOT. Story continues Yea not nasty enough, Patrick wrote back, correctly. The lack of nastiness is a frustrating sign that this adaptation of one of my favorite anime growing up is going to, well, suck. It might not be fair to judge something that doesnt exist yet. But what Netflixs Yu Yu Hakusho does have going for itits actually helmed by a Japanese creative team with Japanese stars, so no whitewashing here, for once!is obscured by the lack of fidelity to the actual source material, not to mention Netflixs disastrous track record in this genre. Hollywoods Anime Whitewashing Epidemic: How Is This Still a Thing? Not that the streamer has ever shown interest in fidelity when it comes to its adaptations. Its insistence upon grabbing beloved IP and reshaping them into unrecognizable garbo (thats Allegra Frankish for garbage) is a consistently irritating move to me, a person who can still watch the OG Yu Yu Hakusho if I want to and pretend that Netflix never did a damn thing to it. Thats the constant battle Im fighting: I hate that Netflix gobbled up Death Note and spit out its own awful movie, with Nat Wolff as a shrieking sociopath and Willem Dafoe as a CGI demon. (Okay, Dafoe was pretty good casting.) This Americanized version of a distinctly Japanese story about a selfish teenager named Light, who can kill anyone he wants by writing their name into his demonic notebook, was almost parodic. Netflix turned Light into someone somewhat likable, as opposed to recognizing that he was one of the worst people ever. And now, Netflix is going to do it all over again, with the Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) working on their own live-action take. Jesus, take the wheel. Netflix Netflixs version of Cowboy Bebop only lasted one season, which is one season more than it deserved. Its reimagining of the classic anime was unrecognizable buffoonery. Besides its well-done remake of the animes iconic opening credit sequence, Netflixs Cowboy Bebop failed to show off any of the series stylishness, looking like a generic sci-fi show and navigating the plot like a boat with no rudder. I dont have to watch the live-action Death Note movie or Cowboy Bebop show if I dont want to. Netflix has the original anime streaming too, and thats what I actually want to watch. Yet I continue to get so angry every time the streamer announces that it has licensed yet another beloved anime IP to make its own version of it. Netflixs adaptations are not getting people acquainted with the original anime, reallytheyre likely turning them off the concept entirely, because they are so bad. Netflix Maybe my issue is this: Anime is a huge, huge industry, yet it often goes unsung by the mainstream American press. But what does get written up is the Cowboy Bebop show and the Death Note movie. I have a feeling well see scores of reviews of the upcoming One Piece adaptation, which I expect will be an affront to the series zillions of fans. The mainstreams exposure to anime is often limited to these abominations, and it grates on me. Im going to watch the OG Death Note or Cowboy Bebop, but Im not sure you will. I will always love anime, and Netflix cant ruin that. Even if it makes its own version of one of my personal favorite anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion, which is currently streaming on the platform, Ill still be able to watch the original whenever I want. Which is why, after all these years and all this pent-up rage, Im ready to make peace with Netflix and its awful live-action anime. Kuwabara doesnt look nasty enough, but thats fine, because Ive figured out what I can do: Ill just recuse myself from watching. 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. Netflix warned it might lose more subscribers in the second quarter of this year than it did in the first, and that prediction has come true though it wasn't as bad as feared. The streaming service said it lost nearly 1 million subscribers (970,000 to be exact) in Q2. That's far more than the 200,000-member decline from Q1, but not as bleak as the 2 million Netflix was prepared to part with. The company attributed the slightly rosier outcome to "better-than-expected" subscriber growth, particularly in areas like Asia-Pacific. The company still turned a $1.44 billion net profit despite the shrinking customer base and unfavorable foreign exchange values for the US dollar. Unfriendly exchange rates are a particularly difficult problem when nearly 60 percent of revenue comes from outside the country, Netflix said. The media giant is expecting a turnaround for the third quarter, if a slow one. It's now predicting that it will add a net 1 million subscribers. While that's a far cry from the 4.4 million Netflix added a year earlier, it's a decided improvement over the past six months. The strong start for Stranger Things 4 could help the nostalgic show is now Netflix's most watched season of English TV to date with over 1.3 billion hours of viewing. Netflix's recovery plan will sound familiar. The company is still pinning its hopes on a lower-priced ad-supported tier due in early 2023, and expects to launch it in a "handful of markets" where there's already strong ad spending. The service also plans to fight account sharing, and is experimenting with ideas that include charging for additional homes. The finished sharing system could also roll out in 2023. A North Carolina man was locked up in a Richland County jail on Medicaid fraud charges, the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office said Tuesday. Tommel Devon Hayes was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center Monday, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release. Following an investigation by the South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the 45-year-old Goldsboro, North Carolina resident was charged with three counts of obtaining signature or property by false pretenses, value of $10,000 or more, and one count of medical assistance provider fraud, according to the release. Hayes owned and operated Clearscreen LLC, thats based in Columbia, the S.C. Attorney Generals Office said. The drug testing service opened in November 2015 and is at 201 Columbia Mall Blvd., which is in the Dentsville area near Two Notch Road. Between Oct. 10, 2015 and Jan. 31, 2018 Hayes used the business at least three times to knowingly and willfully, by false pretense or representation, obtain more than $10,000 to cheat and defraud the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Program, Wilsons office said. There was no word on how much money Hayes got from the S.C. Medicaid program, or what he did with the funds. Information about how the scheme operated was not available. Hayes was also charged with creating and submitting fraudulent documents and claims to the S.C. Medicaid program for mental health services that were not rendered to numerous Medicaid beneficiaries who lived in Greenville and Florence, according to the release. If convicted on the felony obtaining signature or property by false pretenses charges, Hayes faces a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison on each count, according to South Carolina law. He could also be sentenced to a maximum of 3 years in prison and a $1,000 fine if hes found guilty of the misdemeanor medical assistance provider fraud. On Tuesday, Hayes was not listed on the jails inmate roster. Information about bond was not available. Jul. 18BISMARCK Spring counts for two of North Dakota's grouse species sharp-tailed grouse and sage grouse were down from last year, but ruffed grouse numbers are up, the Game and Fish Department said Monday in reporting results from annual springtime surveys. Sharptail numbers were down 13% from last year, the department said. Statewide, biologists observed 2,639 sharptails on spring dancing grounds this year, compared with 3,281 in 2021. The survey tallied four male grouse per square mile, slightly above the 10-year average of 3.8. "These declines align with poor reproduction documented during the 2021 drought," said Jesse Kolar, upland game management supervisor for Game and Fish in Dickinson. "We observed low sharptail reproduction rates during late summer roadside counts and found a low juvenile-to-adult ratio from hunter-submitted wings." Meanwhile, ruffed grouse drumming counts increased 52% in the Turtle Mountains, but the number of drums heard per stop declined 5% in the Pembina Hills area, Game and Fish said. Biologists conduct the survey by following designated routes and stopping to listen for the drumming sound male ruffed grouse make to attract a mate by rapidly beating their wings. Ruffed grouse in North Dakota are mostly limited to the forested areas in the north-central and northeastern part of the state. "When combined, survey results indicate a steady population of ruffed grouse drums heard in 2022 compared to 2021," Kolar said. In far western North Dakota, Game and Fish biologists counted 14 male sage grouse on one active lek this spring, down seven males from six leks. North Dakota does not offer a hunting season on sage grouse due to a low population. The spring grouse surveys represent an index of breeding populations and are largely representative of production and recruitment from the previous year. For sharptails, they can be used in combination with brood count data to predict fall populations. Game and Fish staff conduct late summer roadside counts from late July through August to survey upland game broods and will release a summary in early September, Kolar said. "Despite the decrease, the fall outlook will include the spring breeding adults plus successful broods," Kolar said. "This spring had poor residual grass following the 2021 drought. Early nesting was further disrupted by significant snowstorms in the second and third weeks of April. However, the result is a grassland landscape with abundant, tall nesting vegetation for mid- to late-season nesting attempts. We'll see if that is enough to protect chicks from summer storms." (Reuters) -Swiss drugmaker Novartis said earnings at its generic drugs arm Sandoz would likely be flat this year rather than declining, adding that a strategic review over the unit's future was progressing as planned. In a statement on Tuesday, Novartis confirmed its group guidance for 2022 core operating income to grow in a mid-single digit percentage range. The company repeated previous guidance that it would provide an update on the future of Sandoz by the end of 2022. During the second quarter, the generic-drugs business benefited from higher prescription numbers in markets outside the United States, as patients were no longer held back by pandemic-related restrictions. Finance Chief Harry Kirsch told journalists in a call that improved growth prospects for Sandoz did not make a change in ownership less likely. Recovering growth "shouldn't mean that you keep it", he added.The pharma major also said it was now targeting $1.5 billion in savings from an ongoing group-wide cost cutting scheme, where it had previously seen savings of at least $1 billion by 2024. "Implementation of our streamlined organizational model is progressing well," the company said in a statement. Second-quarter core operating income declined 2% to $4.27 billion, slightly above the average analyst estimate of $4.19 billion in a Refinitiv poll. For Novartis, which reports results in dollars, a strong dollar was a drag on the value of sales generated outside the United States. Contributing to the decline, Novartis in May had to suspend production of precision nuclear cancer medicines known as radioligands. In addition, competition was a further drag on sales of multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya. Providing growth momentum, quarterly revenue from heart failure drug Entresto jumped 27% to $1.13 billion, a touch below expectations. Sales of psoriasis and arthritis drug Cosentyx gained 9% to $1.28 billion, in line with the market consensus. Story continues CEO Vas Narasimhan is seeking to boost his efficiency credentials as the Swiss drug major is receiving huge cash windfalls, including $20.7 billion last year from the sale of its 33% stake in Roche back to the Swiss rival, and from a possible sale of Sandoz. Despite plans to buy back up to $15 billion worth of shares, Novartis has said it will retain enough spending power to buy companies and technologies to boost its growth prospects. Provided that internal drug development gets sufficient funding, Novartis would focus on "bolt-on" takeovers and shun large deals, said finance chief Kirsch. He added that bolt-on transactions could still be worth several billions of dollars in view of the group's $200 billion market value. ($1 = 0.9752 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Rachel More, Kim Coghill and Louise Heavens) New York City Mayor Eric Adams is calling for federal resources to assist with arriving asylum seekers. Adams said in a release that New York has experienced a sharp increase in asylum seekers from Latin America and others regions over the last serval weeks. More than 2,800 of those individuals have entered New York Citys shelter system and Adams' office said the Big Apple is working with the government to ensure the city can provide comprehensive support and resources to them. "New York has been and will always be a city of immigrants that welcomes newcomers with open arms. This value has made our city a beacon of freedom for people around the world and the economic and cultural powerhouse that it is. These very same humanitarian values apply to those who are experiencing homelessness. In New York City, we have both a moral and legal obligation to house anyone who is experiencing homelessness for any reason," Adams said in a statement. IMMIGRANTS BUSSED FROM TEXAS AND ARIZONA WELCOME IN NATION'S CAPITAL, SAY RESIDENTS "Currently, New York City is experiencing a marked increase in the number of asylum seekers who are arriving from Latin America and other regions. In some instances, families are arriving on buses sent by the Texas and Arizona governments, while in other cases, it appears that individuals are being sent by the federal government," continued. Mayor Eric Adams speaks during Juneteenth Celebration in Seneca Village at Central Park of New York City, United States on June 19, 2022. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Adams said that in order to meet the legal mandate as a "right-to-shelter city" and provide high-quality shelter and services for these individuals, New York's need for additional federal resources is immediate. "If we do not get these urgently needed resources, we may struggle to provide the proper level of support our clients deserve, while also facing challenges as we serve both a rapidly growing shelter population and new clients who are seeking asylum. We are calling on the federal government to partner with New York City as we help asylum seekers navigate this process, and to provide financial and technical resources," he wrote. Story continues Adams said the state has been in talks with federal partners. NYC SEES 11 SEPARATE SHOOTINGS, STABBINGS HOURS AFTER ADAMS VOWED TO 'TURN THIS CRIME THING AROUND' "By law, asylum seekers have a right to be in the United States while they seek humanitarian protection. In New York City, we are responsible for the provision of services and infrastructure for newly arrived asylum seekers and currently residing populations alike. Weve been in discussions with our federal partners on this matter and look forward to a quick resolution," he concluded. In Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser claimed in a Sunday interview with CBS' "Face the Nation" that migrants putting a strain on homeless shelters there were "tricked" into traveling to the nation's capital. "This is a very significant issue. We have for sure called on the federal government to work across state lines to prevent people from really being tricked into getting on buses," she said. "We think theyre largely asylum seekers who are going to final destinations that are not Washington, D.C. I worked with the White House to make sure that FEMA provided a grant to a local organization that is providing services to folks," Bowser continued. "I fear that theyre being tricked into nationwide bus trips when their final destinations are places all over the United States of America." Mayor Muriel Bowser discusses rising violence at a press conference, in Washington, DC. Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey started ordering buses of immigrants to Washington, D.C., in recent months to manage the growing numbers pouring crossing the border. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection June 2022 monthly operational report said there were more than 207,416 encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border for the month, down from Mays all-time high of 239,000. Fox News' Lindsay Kornick, Houston Keene and Jon Michael Raasch contributed to this report. The BA.5 subvariant, now the cause of at least two-thirds of U.S. cases, is driving a COVID-19 spike in some 40 states. But Americans, exhausted from repeated surge warnings, are less likely than ever to wear masks or avoid crowds. Many U.S. health officials are not speaking out against such practices. I think theyre trying to keep their powder dry, said my colleague Thomas Fuller, our San Francisco bureau chief. They seem to believe its not realistic to bring back severe measures right now. In Chicago, where the COVID-19 warning levels jumped to high last week, Dr. Allison Arwady, the health department commissioner, said, I feel strongly that you cant just kind of cry wolf all the time. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisianas state health officer and medical director, said that, despite higher COVID-19 levels, he felt much more empowered that we have the ability to protect ourselves. Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a recent White House briefing that Americans should not let COVID-19 disrupt our lives. (Los Angeles County, however, is planning to reinstate indoor mask mandates on July 29 as the states COVID-19 cases increase.) Home testing makes the current data murkier. Not since the earliest months has so little been known about how many coronavirus infections there are. Slightly higher death rates, a 20% increase in hospitalizations and other signs point to a new surge, but hospitalizations and deaths are far fewer than in previous spikes, with many more people vaccinated or able to treat symptoms. I spoke to Fuller as he drove to Yosemite to check on the Washburn fire. He reiterated health officials are in a tough situation, given extreme pandemic fatigue. In the Bay Area, where he lives, Fuller said most people continue to mask, but some are so frustrated, theyre throwing caution to the winds. They have a sense of futility that wasnt as evident in the past. Story continues The chief concern he drew from his reporting, Fuller said, is that this stage of the virus might be kind of creating a giant petri dish for subvariants. Chances go up when more virus is circulating, he said. With so many more bodies hosting it, experts told me theres so much more potential for future variants which may or may not be more serious. Dr. Charles Chiu, a virus expert at the University of California, San Francisco, stressed to Fuller that it is crucial that new variants be detected quickly, especially in wastewater. (Chiu detected the first U.S. case of omicron in a traveler, then learned it was in wastewater two weeks beforehand.) That is the point where public restrictions aimed at prevention could become urgent again, Chiu said. As officials hold back and the public drops its guard, Fuller said, I think were at a point of trying to understand the consequences of complacency. We dont understand them yet. But the more widespread the virus, the higher the risks of a new variant. Thats the concern that the people I spoke to expressed. 2022 The New York Times Company Story at a glance Adam Graham, the first openly gay mayor of The Village, has resigned, citing concerns for his safety. Graham in a resignation letter said in the last month alone he had been followed home from meetings, threatened while walking his dog, harassed at a Starbucks and had his tires slashed. Graham was one of just six openly LGBTQ+ elected officials in Oklahoma. Adam Graham, the first openly gay mayor of The Village, a town just outside Oklahoma City, has resigned, writing in a resignation letter that he no longer feels safe enough to serve. In the last month, Ive been followed home from meetings, threatened while walking my dog, harassed at Starbucks and have had my tires slashed, Graham wrote Monday in a letter to Bruce Stone, the city manager. He said certain sects of The Villages population had recently become emboldened to pursue threats and attacks against him bordering on violence. Unfortunately, these malicious, bad-faith attacks are escalating and I no longer feel safe in my capacity to serve as Mayor, Graham wrote. Its with a heavy heart that I tender my resignation effective immediately. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. Graham, one of only six openly LGBTQ+ elected officials in Oklahoma, had just assumed office in May after serving as The Villages vice mayor for two years. Before that, he served a two-year term as a city council member. Roughly two months before his resignation, Graham said he was involved in an incident with two police officers from the nearby town of Nichols Hills, whom Graham on Monday accused of targeting The Village residents. I will never apologize for standing up to the people I was elected to serve, Graham wrote in his resignation letter. He added that he will remain in the area as a private citizen and will work to make sure the best possible people are elected to serve in city government. Story continues Across the country, LGBTQ+ people say harassment and violence against the community has been ramping up, in part because of recent legislation targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ people, particularly youth. Some have joined Graham in leaving their jobs, citing safety concerns or discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Last month, Willie Carver Jr., voted Kentuckys 2022 Teacher of the Year, quit his K-12 teaching job, alleging anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and little support from his schools administration. As a queer person in K-12 education, I have been unable to do that work without facing discrimination, heartache, and being a part of systems that cause harm, he told the Lexington Herald Leader. The national rhetoric is turned up, and LGBTQ teachers bear the weight of a lot of hatred that catalyzes the vitriol, he said. Its tiring. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County is notifying residents of blue-green algae bloom caution for Fish Lake near Kissimmee. Read: Would-be record hammerhead shark released out of respect, South Carolina captain says On Tuesday the Florida Department of Health in Osceola County issued a heath alert after water tests showed the presence of the harmful toxins. See map of area below: Officials learned of the blooms after water samples showed evidence of the possible contamination July 14. READ: Hot and humid, with rain moving in across Central Florida Because blooms have the potential to produce toxins, health officials advise people to take the following precautions: -Do not drink, swim, wade or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom. -Avoid getting water in your eyes, nose or mouth -Keep pets and livestock away from the waters where there is a bloom. Read: Mooove over: Cows stop traffic on Florida Turnpike after hauler catches fire Blue-green algae is a common occurrence in freshwater environments throughout Florida and can appear year-round. WATCH: St. Cloud business owners say downtown construction is costing them customers More information about Floridas water quality status and public health notifications can be found here. To report an algal bloom contact FDEP at 855-305-3903 or online. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Peace in Ukraine would be on Moscows terms, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has claimed, as his countrys troops continued to launch air strikes on Tuesday. Mr Medvedev, who is now deputy head of Russias Security Council, insisted that the country was on course to seize more parts of Ukraine. He said: Russia will achieve all its goals. There will be peace on our terms. On Tuesday, Russia dropped missiles over Ukraine while nearing its sixth month of war since Putin launched the invasion on 24 February. At least one person was killed in a missile strike on the centre of Kramatorsk, the governor of the Donetsk region said. Buildings in a town in the Kharkiv region were also hit. Footage shows piles of rubble being cleared by excavators. Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and now deputy head of the countrys security council (AP) A 75-year-old man died of his injuries that he suffered as a result of the shelling in the last 24 hours, the Kharkiv regions governor Oleh Synegubov wrote on social media. In Odesa, in southern Ukraine, firefighters fought blazes sparked by missile attacks that burned many peoples homes to the ground. Oleksii Matsulevych, a spokesman for Odesas regional administration, said on Telegram that four people were injured in the air strikes. Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraines presidential office, wrote on Twitter that the houses had been struck by seven Russian Kalibr cruise missiles. He wrote: A terrorist state is longing to defeat those (who are) fearless with fear. We will neither break nor give up. In response, Russias defence ministry said its forces had destroyed ammunition depots in the area that were storing weapons supplied to Kyiv by the US and European countries a claim Reuters news agency said it could not immediately verify. Russia says it does not deliberately target civilians or civilian infrastructure and only uses precision weapons to break down the Ukrainian military. Ukrainian troops in front of a residential block damaged by a rocket attack in Kramatorsk (Nariman El-Mofty/AP) The Ukrainian army said that Russian troops have been focusing on strengthening their positions in areas they have already seized because their limited ground assaults have been unsuccessful. Story continues In their latest major gain earlier this month, Russian troops captured the city of Lysychansk, in the separatist-controlled Luhansk oblast in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Recently there have been reports that the troops are stalling. Last week, Britains Ministry of Defence said it believed Russian forces were unable to advance because of a lack of soldiers. The MoD said Russia has to now decide how much weaponry and manpower to use to achieve its goal of seizing full control of the Donetsk area also in the Donbas region and to react to any Ukrainian counter-attack in the south. In response, Russias defence ministry said its forces had destroyed ammunition depots in the area that were storing weapons supplied to Kyiv by the US and European countries a claim Reuters news agency said it could not immediately verify. Russia says it does not deliberately target civilians or civilian infrastructure and only uses precision weapons to break down the Ukrainian military. By Mike Stone WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense agreed with Lockheed Martin Corp to build about 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years, the two parties said on Monday, amid expectations the price of the most common version of the aircraft would increase due to inflation and slower production. "We are pleased to announce that the Department and Lockheed Martin reached a handshake agreement for the next F-35 lot buy on a basis of 375 aircraft," said William LaPlante, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer. Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported the deal, worth about $30 billion, was nearing an agreement. The handshake agreement came as the aviation industry gathered for the return of the Farnborough Airshow, aiming for a display of confidence after the devastation of COVID-19, even though the only records likely to be broken at the event in southeastern England are for sweltering temperatures. The "handshake" deal is a starting point for finalizing contract pricing and award, which will likely not be locked in for several weeks if not months. So the ultimate value of the deal - and the price for each jet variant - is still uncertain. The most common version is the F-35A, which flies conventionally from runways. The first aircraft of that version cost $221 million when it came off the production line in 2007. Since then, production quantities and know-how have increased, helping the price of the stealthy fifth-generation fighter fall to $79 million each as it has gained buyers. The Pentagon said the final aircraft quantity in this agreement might change based on any "adjustments made by the U.S. Congress in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and any orders requested by international partners." Lockheed said in a statement that "in the midst of continued COVID-19 impacts and decreased F-35 quantities, the F-35 enterprise was able to achieve a cost per jet lower than record-breaking inflation trends." Story continues Last week U.S. data showed inflation had accelerated to an annual rate of 9.1% in June. Amid the pandemic, Lockheed began to foreshadow that the price of the jet could rise as economies of scale diminished and supply chains stumbled. A Pentagon previous three-year "block buy," signed in 2019, was for 478 F-35 fighter jets, allowing Lockheed to buy larger quantities of components to reduce costs by about 8%, to $34 billion, versus negotiating annual contracts. The F-35 has had several recent successes in jet fighter competitions, including Finland, Switzerland and Germany. Potential customers include Greece and the Czech Republic. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, Program Executive Officer at the F-35 Joint Program Office said "The F-35 is one of the most lethal, interoperable, and scalable capabilities in the DoD inventory." (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Stephen Coates and Bradley Perrett) Pentagon officials are pressing lawmakers to back legislation to fund the domestic production of semiconductor chips, arguing it is essential for national security. Ahead of a crucial vote in the Senate, the Department of Defense is lobbing members in both parties to back the bill by arguing it will help the U.S. keep up with China and other nations heavily investing in their own semiconductor industries. The chips are important to the Pentagon, as they can be found in every weapons system. For example, each Javelin missile the U.S. sends to Ukraine includes about 200 semiconductors. The bill faces an uncertain path in the Senate, where it will probably need more than 10 GOP votes to pass the chamber. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Friday threatened to vote against the bill, which he described as a blank check to chip companies, and other progressives are likely to join him. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) earlier this month threatened to upend the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) in America Act unless Democrats backed off their separate push on a budget reconciliation measure. But he has signaled openness on the merits of the bill, and the reconciliation package appears to have been torpedoed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). The push by the Defense officials could nudge some Republicans toward the bill. The House has already passed the America COMPETES Act, and the Senate has passed the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, both of which are aimed at making the U.S. more competitive with China. Those two bills are now in limbo, and the narrower CHIPS bill is seen as a way of doing something on the issue. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) last week told senators to expect a floor vote as early as Tuesday on the CHIPS bill, which would allocate $52 billion to $54 billion in assistance to the industry. In a letter to congressional leadership last week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in part that immediate passage of the bill would revitalize the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry and enable game-changing capabilities our war-fighters need. Story continues We agree that the manufacturing of semiconductors is an imperative for our national security, the secretaries wrote. For the last several months, our departments have been working together to further define these needs so that we can quickly support them through funding the CHIPS Act. Raimondo then teamed up with the Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to brief members of Congress on the national security need for the legislation. Right now, we have a reliance on foreign suppliers of semiconductors, which are critical to basically all of our defense products, said Cynthia Cook, director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). So, the real issue is assuring that industry has access to the semiconductors it needs for its production, and in a secure way, she added. The semiconductor shortage has been a longstanding issue for the Pentagon, said Martijn Rasser, a senior fellow and director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. I think particularly for the department, its challenging because on one side, they rely on some very specific cutting-edge chips that are not commonly made, Rasser said. But then they also have a heavy reliance on legacy chips. So, things that commercial enterprises dont really continue to invest in just because its older technology, he added. Kea Matory, legislative director for the National Defense Industrial Association, said a number of national security concerns come to the forefront from the semiconductor shortage. One major concern is what would happen to U.S. capabilities if China were to invade Taiwan a major producer of semiconductors. Adding onto those concerns are the ongoing supply disruptions caused by the pandemic, and demand for U.S. weaponry caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Onshoring domestic production of chips will take multiple years. All of these are concerns when it comes to national security and the fact that we really need to stockpile and bring up some of our supplies, Matory said. I mean, we just cant keep up with demand is part of the challenge. Moving forward, experts say more would need to be done to help boost the semiconductor industry in the long term. These are large, big investments and good ideas, but you know, there will be new technologies, there will be new chips, there is a need to think about how we do industrial policy, these issues longer term, said Gregory Sanders, deputy director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at CSIS. This is ultimately a level of just knowledge and technical expertise, data that will be a persistent challenge, he continued. And we need that capability of U.S. government to make wise decisions on how we spend this money going forward. Matory said the bill wouldnt fix every issue overnight, but that waiting to deal with these problems will only create more problems. Is it going to fix our problem today? You know, probably not, because we do have to build those foundries she said. But at least if were starting it, you know if we keep kicking the can down the road, were gonna have, you know, a bigger problem. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Two men cool themselves with water from a public sprinkler on a hot and sunny day in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, July 16, 2022. AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti Europe is battling an unprecedented heatwave and several blazing wildfires. Spain, France, and the UK have recorded temperatures in the 100s this week. More than 1,100 people in Spain and Portugal have died from heat-related causes in the last week. Several countries across Western Europe are battling scorching temperatures this week amid a brutal heatwave and raging wildfires. France, Greece, and Italy have been hit with scorching temperatures as massive blazes tear through the land. Meanwhile, the UK recorded unprecedented temperatures on Monday as the country took drastic steps to protect its infrastructure and people's lives. More than 1,100 people in Spain and Portugal have died from heat-related causes in the last week and experts worry the extreme weather could last multiple weeks in certain areas as climbing temperatures break several records. People in Spain flocked to open waters over the weekend to keep cool. People cool off in the water on a hot and sunny day at the beach in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 15, 2022. AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti The country has already recorded 360 heat-related deaths, according to the Carlos III Health Institute. Spain's northern region recorded temperatures approaching 108 degrees Fahrenheit this week. Meanwhile, wildfires have engulfed much of Central and Northern Spain. Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire next to the village of Tabara, near Zamora, northern Spain, on July 18, 2022. Photo by MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP via Getty Images The central region of Castile and Leon, as well as the northern region of Galicia, were hit with blazes on Sunday, according to Reuters. Firefighters in the southeastern Malaga province had stabilized fires over the weekend and are allowing people who evacuated to return. Children in France sought reprieve from the heat in cold fountains. Children play in the water of a fountain, as the air temperature exceed 42 degrees Celsius, in Nantes, on July 18, 2022 Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images Weather experts predicted that France, which has battled a particularly hot summer thus far, could break monthly minimum temperature records on Monday. The country urged residents to avoid going outside during daytime as temperatures climbed in the high 100s this week. Young Parisians jumped headfirst into the city's canals to cool down. Kids jump from a bridge to swim in the Canal St Martin, during a heatwave in Paris, Monday, July 18, 2022. AP Photo/Lewis Joly But wildfires across France darkened some beachgoers' day. This photograph taken on July 18, 2022 shows people swim on the Moulleau's beach as the smoke rising from the forest fire in La Teste-de-Buch, seen from Arcachon, in front of the Pilat dune. Photo by THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP via Getty Images More than 30,000 people in have been forced to evacuate in recent days as two massive wildfires blazed through nearly 60 square miles in southwestern France. Story continues About 1,700 firefighters from the country have been stationed in the Gironde region, according to The New York Times, to try to quell the flames. The challenge has grown increasingly difficult amid climbing temperatures and powerful wind gusts, the outlet reported. Extreme heat across Britain on Monday neared record-breaking temperatures. A man uses a newspaper as a fan whilst travelling on the Bakerloo line in central London during the heatwave. Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images The country is vastly unprepared for sky-high temperatures in the low 100s, where many homes are not equipped with air conditioners. Train services in some cities were canceled while Britain's Air Force halted flights as a "preventative measure," citing concerns about melting tar on the runway. Even a British soldier outside Buckingham Palace took a break to sip some water. A police officer givers water to a British soldier wearing a traditional bearskin hat, on guard duty outside Buckingham Palace, during hot weather in London, Monday, July 18, 2022. Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images The UK Meteorological Service issued an extreme temperature warning and predicted that Tuesday could see even higher temps. A woman use portable fan as heatwave hits London, United Kingdom on July 18, 2022. Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The highest recorded temperature in Britain was 38.7 degrees Celsius, or about 102 degrees Fahrenheit, which was set on July 25, 2019. Forecasters predict that record could be beat come Tuesday. Outdoor pools across the country drew over-heated Brits seeking a cool dip. Swimmers soak up the sun at Charlton Lido in south east London, as parts of England experience heatwave conditions, with the Met Office issuing a red extreme heat warning. Photo by Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images The UK Meteorological Service said blazing temperatures are expected to drop overnight into Wednesday by several degrees. Two people under an umbrella in London's Regents Park during the heatwave. Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images Read the original article on Insider LONDON (Reuters) - Rishi Sunak, frontrunner in the contest to become Britain's next prime minister, would lose to any of his remaining opponents if he makes it throught to the final stage of the contest when rank and file party members get to vote, polling showed on Tuesday. The YouGov poll of Conservative Party members showed Sunak would lose a runoff vote against either Kemi Badenoch, Liz Truss or Penny Mordaunt. The polling was published by Sky News. (Reporting by William James, editing by Kylie MacLellan) STORY: The Ice Pub in downtown Prague offers a brief escape to Arctic conditions, with below zero temperatures. Bartender Lukas Santler said the bar runs at full capacity during the summer season. The bar, just a minute's walk from the capital's renowned Charles Bridge, serves vodka-based cocktails in cups made of ice; the furnishings and decorations are also made from ice. The bar used to serve beer as well - but has stopped that because the tap kept freezing up, Santler added. The temperature inside, around 19 Fahrenheit, is so cold that visitors are handed fleece coats and mittens, and visits are limited to about half an hour. Steve Bannon wore his trademark two buttoned-down shirts and matching black blazer to court. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Image Prosecutors said Steve Bannon's defiance of the House January 6 panel was a "choice." Bannon's lawyer argued that "no one believed" the Trump ally would testify in October 2021. Before opening arguments, Bannon's lawyers tried again to delay the criminal trial. Kicking off the trial of Steve Bannon, federal prosecutors on Tuesday stressed their view of the case's sheer simplicity: the longtime Trump ally received a deadline to answer a subpoena from the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. And Bannon refused to comply. "This case is about the defendant thumbing his nose at the orderly processes of our government," said assistant US attorney Amanda Vaughn, in an opening argument to jurors. "It is that simple," she added. In a nearly 20-minute argument, Vaughn recounted how the House committee sought to question Bannon about his knowledge of the events leading up to the insurrection at the Capitol and gave him due dates last October to sit for questioning and turn over documents. Bannon then deliberately snubbed the House panel, she said, in spite of warnings that his defiance could result in the very criminal charges he now faces. "It wasn't optional. It wasn't a request, and it wasn't an invitation. It was mandatory," Vaughn said. "The defendant decided he was above the law and that's why we're here today." "He didn't get stuck on a broken down Metro car. He just refused to follow the rules," she added. Vaughn's opening argument seemed to head off Bannon's expected defense: that he considered the House committee's deadlines negotiable and not fixed. In his own opening argument, Bannon's defense lawyer Evan Corcoran underscored the Trump ally's time as an advisor to the former president and noted his past involvement with a "media company," in an apparent reference to Breitbart News. "The evidence is going to be crystal clear: No one, no one believed that Steve Bannon was going to appear on October 14, 2021," Corcoran said. Story continues A grand jury indicted Bannon in November, weeks after that deadline, on a pair of contempt of Congress charges each carrying a maximum sentence of a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. In his opening argument, Corcoran said the charges amounted to a politically motivated attack. "Politics is the lifeblood of the U.S. House of Representatives," Corcoran said. "Politics invades every decision that they make." Following opening arguments Tuesday, prosecutors called the House January 6 committee's deputy staff director and chief counsel, Kristin Amerling, who stressed the "urgency" of the congressional panel's inquiry. If Republicans retake the House majority in the upcoming midterm elections, they are expected to dissolve the January committee. "The select committee is looking at a violent assault on the United States Capitol, on law enforcement officials, on our democratic institutions. And we have a limited amount of time," she said. The opening arguments and Amerling's testimony unfolded after a bumpy start to the trial, as Bannon's defense lawyers, federal prosecutors, and the judge all quarreled over what evidence could be presented to the jury. After multiple failed attempts to push back the trial, Corcoran asked again for a delay, saying the defense team needed a month to adjust its strategy in light of what he called a "seismic shift" in the case. "There are a lot of moving pieces," Corcoran said. "We simply have not done the type of defense preparation we would have." US District Court Judge Carl Nichols rejected the request. But the judge, a Trump appointee confirmed in 2019, did briefly entertain a one-day delay while defense lawyers and prosecutors wrangled over to what extent Bannon's correspondence with the House January 6 committee should be redacted or blacked out in the evidence shown to jurors. Ahead of the trial, Nichols handed down a string of rulings that limited Bannon's defenses, preventing him from arguing, for instance, that executive privilege excused his defiance of the House January 6 committee. But Nichols indicated that Bannon could raise a defense that he believed that the deadlines to respond to the House January 6 committee's subpoena were negotiable and not fixed. "I don't think it could have been clearer," Nichols said. Read the original article on Business Insider TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin won staunch support from Iran on Tuesday for his countrys military campaign in Ukraine, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei saying the West opposes an independent and strong Russia. Khamenei said that if Russia hadnt sent troops into Ukraine, it would have faced an attack from NATO later, a statement that echoed Putin's own rhetoric and reflected increasingly close ties between Moscow and Tehran as they both face crippling Western sanctions. NATO allies have bolstered their military presence in Eastern Europe and provided Ukraine with weapons to help counter the Russian attack. If the road would have been open to NATO, it will not recognize any limit and boundary, Khamenei told Putin. Had Moscow not acted first, he added, the Western alliance would have waged a war to return the Crimean Peninsula that Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 back to Kyiv's control. In only his second trip abroad since Russia launched the military action in February, Putin conferred with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the conflict in Syria, and he used the trip to discuss a U.N.-backed proposal to resume exports of Ukrainian grain to ease the global food crisis. Turkey, a NATO member, has found itself opposite Russia in bloody conflicts in Syria and Libya. It has even sold lethal drones that Ukrainian forces have used to attack Russian troops. But Ankara hasn't imposed sanctions on the Kremlin, making it a sorely needed partner for Moscow. Grappling with runaway inflation and a rapidly depreciating currency, Turkey also relies on the Russian market. Erdogan made Putin wait for nearly a minute before entering the room for talks and then praised what he described as Russias very, very positive approach during last weeks grain talks in Istanbul. He voiced hope a deal will be made, and the result that will emerge will have a positive impact on the whole world. Story continues Speaking to Erdogan as their meeting began, Putin thanked him for his mediation to help move forward a deal on Ukrainian grain exports. Not all the issues have been resolved yet, but it's good that there has been some progress, Putin added. He later told reporters that Moscow would accept a deal to facilitate Ukrainian grain shipments if the West lifts restrictions on Russian grain exports. We have reached a preliminary agreement on that with international organizations, which have taken the labor to turn it all into a package, Putin said. Let's see how it all evolves in the nearest time. He noted that the Americans have effectively lifted the restrictions on Russian fertilizer supplies to global markets," adding that if they sincerely want to improve the situation in the global food market, I hope they will do the same with Russian grain exports. U.N., Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish officials had reached a tentative agreement on some aspects of a deal to ensure the export of 22 million tons of desperately needed grain and other agricultural products trapped in Ukraines Black Sea ports by the fighting. Reaching the agreement would mark a major step toward alleviating a food crisis that has sent prices of vital commodities like wheat and barley soaring. Asked whether the talks with Ukraine on a political settlement could resume, Putin said that Russia was grateful to Erdogan and other international mediators but noted hat we are seeing that Kyiv's authorities have no such desire. The trip to Tehran has symbolic meaning for Putins domestic audience as well, showing off Russias international clout even as it grows increasingly isolated and plunges deeper into confrontation with the West. It comes just days after U.S. President Joe Bidens visited Israel and Saudi Arabia Tehrans primary rivals. From Jerusalem and Jeddah, Biden urged Israel and Arab countries to push back on Russian, Chinese and Iranian influence that has expanded with the perception of Americas retreat from the region. It was a tough sell. Israel maintains good relations with Putin, a necessity given Russian presence in Syria, Israel's northeastern neighbor and frequent target of its airstrikes. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have declined to pump more oil beyond a plan approved by their energy alliance with Moscow. But all the countries despite their long-standing rivalries could agree on drawing closer to counter Iran, which has rapidly advanced its nuclear program since former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned Tehran's atomic accord with world powers and reimposed crushing sanctions. Talks to restore the deal have hit a deadlock. Backed into a corner by the West and its regional rivals, the Iranian government is ramping up uranium enrichment, cracking down on dissent and grabbing headlines with optimistic, hard-line stances intended to keep the Iranian currency, the rial, from crashing. Without sanctions relief in sight, Iran's tactical partnership with Russia has become one of survival, even as Moscow appears to be undercutting Tehran in the black market oil trade. Iran is (the) center of dynamic diplomacy, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian wrote on Twitter, adding the meetings will develop economic cooperation, focus on security of the region ... and ensure food security. Fadahossein Maleki, a member of the Iranian parliament's influential committee on national security and foreign policy, described Russia as Iran's most strategic partner on Monday. His comments belied decades of animosity stemming from Russias occupation of Iran during World War II and its refusal to leave afterward. In a sign of increasingly close military cooperation, Russian officials in recent weeks visited an airfield in central Iran at least twice to review Tehrans weapons-capable drones for possible use in Ukraine, the White House has alleged. Putin hailed the importance of close ties between Moscow and Tehran at his meetings with the Iranian leaders. Our relations are developing at a good pace, Putin said at the start of the meeting with Raisi, adding that they two countries have worked to strengthen their cooperation on international security and contribute significantly to the Syrian settlement. In a closing statement, he offered strong support to Tehran over the deadlocked nuclear deal, calling for its full revival and a complete lifting of sanctions against Iran to allow a free development of cooperation in any areas without any discrimination. During their trilateral talks, the presidents discussed the decade-old conflict in Syria, where Iran and Russia have backed President Bashar Assads government, while Turkey has supported armed opposition factions. Russia intervened in the conflict in 2015, pooling efforts with Iranian forces and using its air power to shore up Assads fledgling military. Erdogan focused on Turkey's action to push from its borders U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, following up on previous threats of a new military offensive in northern Syria. The planned operation is part of Turkey's efforts to create a safe zone along its border with Syria that would encourage the voluntary return of Syrian refugees. Erdogan said Turkey was determined to drive out the centers of evil that target Turkeys security. He said Ankara expects Russia and Iran to support Turkey in this fight, adding that the regions of Tel Rifaat and Manbij where Turkey has said it planned to send its troops had turned into a terror bed. "The greatest favor that would be made to the Syrian people would be the complete removal of the separatist terrorist organization from territories that it occupies, Erdogan said. In an apparent reference to Turkey's concerns, the three presidents said in a joint statement that they rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives, and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas." At the same time, in an earlier, separate meeting with Erdogan, Khamenei sternly warned against the planned Turkish incursion. Any sort of military attack in northern Syria will definitely harm Turkey, Syria and the entire region, and will benefit terrorists," Iran's top leader said, stressing the need to bring the issue to an end through talks. Humanitarian issues in Syria have also come into focus since Russia used its veto power at the U.N. Security Council last week to restrict aid deliveries to 4.1 million people in Syrias rebel-held northwest after six months, instead of a year. Erdogan stressed that six months weren't enough. Raisi said all parties urged expelling American forces from Syria. In a reference to the U.S. military, Putin denounced what he described as attempts to cement unlawful foreign military presence and foment separatist sentiments, and emphasized that all areas east of the Euphrates River should return to Syrian government control. __ Isachenkov reported from Moscow. Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of fighting in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine EAGLE PASS, Texas (Reuters) - Beneath a blazing sun, a record number of migrants seeking to enter the United States are crossing the Mexican border. Some wade or swim through the waters of the Rio Grande into Texas. Smugglers ferry groups of others on rafts. U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, promised a more humane border policy than that of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, but the increase in numbers has challenged U.S. law enforcement and drawn criticism from both political parties. The U.S. Border Patrol made more than 1.6 million arrests through June in the fiscal year that started on Oct. 1, on pace to exceed the 1.7 million arrests during all of the last fiscal year, U.S. government data shows. (Photos by Go Nakamura in Eagle Pass, Texas, and Adrees Latif near Roma, Texas; Reporting by Sofia Ahmed in New York and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Mica Rosenberg and Howard Goller) The Daily Beast Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/GettyDemocratic strategist James Carville has a message for people who are doubting Merrick Garland: Just wait.People are like, well, but lets wait and see a little bit. And this is like the top of the first inning. I mean, remember Merrick Garland is like a pit viper. He prosecuted the Oklahoma City bomber case, the Unabomber case, the Olympic bomber case. And I think these guys are really methodical, Carville says on this episode of The New Abnormal pol Whether you want it back or not, paisley print is going to be the next pattern to experience a revival wave. With the rise of the coastal grandma aesthetic, its only a matter of time before Vera Bradley is embraced by a new generation, and I expect to see the print pop up more frequently as the year continues, in everything from clothing to decor. Inside the Parisian home of Maryam Madhavi, for instance, paisley is one of many patterns on display in the cashmere-draped salon that channels a bohemian luxe vibe. The Iranian French stylist opted for hanging printed fabrics and wallcoverings as opposed to wallpaper to curate a space that screams maximalist couture. The print may be on its way back into rotation, but its origins take us back even further into world history. In Paisley Patterns: A Design Source Book, Valerie Reilly describes paisley as one of the most enduring motifs that man has ever devised, having been in constant use for more than 2,000 years. The history of this beloved bohemian textile can be traced all the way back to ancient Persia, where the buta or boteh covered the interiors of royals to foster a sense of nobility. It quickly evolved as a symbol of luxury amongst the elite class with growing demand for Kashmir shawls. In Jewish culture, the cultural motif became synonymous with prestige and eternity. Paisley can be found in sacred texts all over the Middle East, from Iran and Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. THE MASTER BEDROOM FEATURES BOLD LAYERS OF PATTERN. Photo: Tria Giovan From there, the paisley print made its way to Europe, where manufacturers were keen to find a cheaper alternative to the production of imported fabrics during the 19th century. The Scottish town Paisley was at the forefront of this industrialization that would lead to undermining the market and exploiting it for all its worth. After adopting the pattern and designing it for industrial looms in Europe, they were then reexported back to India. The paisley design has different meanings across cultures; some refer to it as a cypress tree while others view it as a pine cone, a mango, and a feather; the common thread is that it derives from a natural form. There is currently an exhibition titled Paisley: A Princely Pattern at the Museum for Islamic Art, in Jerusalem, and across the Atlantic, in New York City, The Clamor of Ornament: Exchange, Power, and Joy from the Fifteenth Century to the Present recently opened at the Drawing Center. Story continues For this ambitious exhibition, Dr. Emily King curated 200 works (drawings, prints, textiles, photographs and other objects), using pieces like George Haites 1850s watercolor design for a shawl to specifically address the evolution of the paisley design motif. Its super interesting, because its really one of those patterns that traveled from its origins in the Mughal empire, northern India, and rising from the Islamic world, she says. Then that area became colonized and [paisley] became particularly popular amongst the colonizers and then trickled back. Dr. King is fascinated by paisley because it represents fluidity of pattern. She notes how there are some designs that are simply too loaded to wear because of the symbolism, but paisley has never really been formalized in its significance since its not associated with a specific cultural identity. Theres something really glorious about that fluidity of culture, but also how uncomfortable that is when there are power imbalances, she explains. Photo courtesy of Laura Ashley During the 1960s, paisley became the loud statement piece of hippies and revolutionaries ahead of the psychedelic movement. As someone who grew up in England at that time, which she views as the height of paisley, Dr. King is reminded that the print has an eternal shared past that transcends micro-generations. Far removed from its colonial roots as a kerchief, paisley was also embraced by creatives from the folk art community. Amongst the contemporary fabrics created by innovative designer Jay Yang, in the 1970s, paisley was paired with rich textures and vibrant colors like brown and red with medallion print for a more bohemian feel. In its most refined form, paisley appeared on bandanas worn by pop culture icons such as the late Jimi Hendrix, Prince, and the Beatles. From bikers and boy scouts to cowboys and rappers, the fashionable pattern was a uniform staple across demographics. The floral printed legacy for which Laura Ashley is known spans almost 70 yearsand paisleys earliest appearance within the heritage brands massive catalogue can be traced back to dress prints in the 1950s. The company didnt fully expand into the home furnishings category until the 70s; theres a publicity photo from 1972 that features a paisley printed tablecloth amongst a tented backdrop of patterned drapes, wallpaper, and beddings. Paisley patterns have a strong bearing on our brands DNA, explains Helen Ashmore, Laura Ashleys head of design. The curving shapes and pod-style motifs that signify a paisley print bring a wonderful feeling of the exotic into any collection and in two-tone color combinations have timeless appeal in modern-day interiors. The design can be used in both minimalist and maximalist ways, which makes its appeal so vast. According to Helen, the brand started by using them as small-scale, single-color prints that worked alongside our floral ditsy prints that were so of that moment. The master bedroom's wall covering and leather sofa are by Ralph Lauren Home; Bergamin designed the four-poster. A silkscreen by Beatriz Milhazes hangs above the headboard, while a Mario Cravo Neto photograph is displayed between the windows. Photo: Roger Davies When Vera Bradley was established in 1982, cofounders Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller were on a mission to bring into the world colorful handbags and luggage that made a bold statement. It wasnt until the 90s that the company started adding paisley onto its quilted cotton bags and eventually found its groove as budding millennials developed a newfound sense of preppy style that stood out from their Lilly Pulitzerloving mothers. Soon enough, the signature print became the brands entire identity and was fully embraced by the middle and upper class. Even so, Vera Bradley was more attainable than most, with an $18 to $540 price range across categories. If you go to my parents house in the suburbs of New Jersey, youll find a shelf of Bermuda pink bagsa retired pattern from Vera Bradleys spring 2005 collectionat the top of the closet, in my childhood bedroom. I vividly remember the feeling of excitement that filled me up when my mom would take me to the local boutique that carried the brand so I could pick out a new accessory for my growing collection of (emotional) baggage. Before you call me out for unlocking these suppressed memories, know that I was a middle schooler coming of age at a time where everyone was sliding down this slippery slope. Photo: Marissa Boone Photo: Marissa Boone For Abigail Quist, founder of the the independent clothing brand Arq, some of her fondest early memories feature a cameo of the print. They appeared in her grandpas smoking jacket with paisley silk lining and leather slippers, and a hand-stitched quilt that her grandma, Lena, made out of silk velvet and silk ties. This past May, it all came full circle when Arq introduced paisley to its collection of responsibly sewn, organic base layers. You can always count on fashion being somewhat cyclical, but its fun to see what really takes hold within a broader resurgence, Abigail explains in an email. Paisley feels really good and luxe and fun right now in the context of intimates. What started out as a diamond foulard-type print based on some of Abigails favorite vintage and antique garments evolved into further exploring the paisley pattern. I like that it can be both ornate or sweet and also masculineor anywhere in between, she says. It holds both formal and 19th-century rural, rugged references at the same time. So, it naturally allows for expression within that free space. Photo courtesy of Noah Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, founder of the interior architecture and experiential design studio Dream Awake and cofounder of Noah, views paisley as a more sophisticated, fun version of a camo print. She notes that its classic but universal, and goes with everything from polka dots and stripes to checks, tartans, and florals. It can be quite serious and super classic and contemporary or it can even be a little bit punk rock, Estelle says. Its just so malleable; you can use it in different ways and it can mean different things. Since launching Noah, in 2015, paisley has appeared in a number of collections on pants, shirts, outwear, beanies, and bandanas. Speaking about her husband, Brendon, and his design preferences, Estelle explains how he loves classic things, but to apply them in a way that does still feel timeless, but a little bit more contemporary in terms of the shape or the application of it. For example, in the past, the menswear brand has experimented with the weaving of paisley and floral prints. After seeing so much positive reception to the print amongst Noahs customers, Estelle is currently thinking about how to bring paisley back into home interiors in a fresh way. A PATTERN-FILLED BEDROOM ON LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. SEASIDE BOHEMIA, PAGE 36. Photo: Tria Giovan Dr. King remarks how maximalism looks very good on a small screen, so any print that feels bold and celebratory will generate a buzzy response on the internet. This is why Helen believes that paisley patterns in bold, joyful colors, refreshed into modern colorways, are emerging as a key trend for 2023, for both fashion and home. Its a print that has so many resonances that naturally attract the eye; what keeps drawing Abigail in is the weirdness of it, which she compares to bacteria under a microscope. If you are a person who doesnt like tropes or to be pigeonholed, then you can see yourself and all your weird, wonderful complexity in something like a paisley, she adds. Of course, its understandable why some people strongly oppose paisley. Like many others, Estelle sees the benefit of continuing to shift paisley away from its waspy image. She adds, Some people can be really turned off by that; it could represent a world that they dont really appreciate or they feel like theyve been excluded from. For those that know about the prints origins, Estelle also wonders how they feel about how it has changed over time. There will always be a fashionable moment, but paisley is a print that never really goes out of styleeven when it softly fades to the background, its still there in disguise. I cant think of an era when it would not have been somewhere current, concludes Dr. King. Patterns dont really date. If the power of paisley compels you Slip x Alice + Olivia Pure Silk Pillowcase in Spring Paisley $89.00, Nordstrom Vintage 90s Purple Paisley Silk Robe $45.00, Etsy Paisley Forest Dish Towel $22.00, Anthropologie Vintage Mid 20th Century Lefton Paisley Patterned Vase $25.00, Chairish Italian Linen Paisley Pillow $140.00, Chairish Laura Ashley Home Paisley Patchwork Collection Quilt Set (Queen) $130.00, Amazon Hippie Paisley Wallpaper from the Woodstock Collection by Mind the Gap $220.00, Burke Decor The Art of Paisley Book $25.00, Chairish Quiet Golf Green Paisley Mallet Putter Cover $80.00, SSENSE Ralph Lauren Doheny Paisley Throw Blanket $245.00, The RealReal Deja Duvet Cover (Full/Queen) $99.00, Urban Outfitters Paisley Lampshades - Set of 4 $385.00, Chairish Vintage Boho Paisley Jacquard Ottoman $1295.00, Chairish Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest Jul. 19"Arrgg! You'll be walking the plank!" said Staff Sgt. Paul Hauschen, of the New York Naval Militia, to the first group of Navy Reserve sailors preparing to jump off the boat, role-playing a water rescue on a rainy Monday morning. The U.S. Coast Guard hosted a group of Navy Reserve sailors along with members of the New York Naval Militia for an abandon-ship training scenario on the St. Lawrence River at the Alexandria Bay Coast Guard Station. Corpsmen from across the country have come together for the Navy Medical Readiness and Training Command or NMRTC based in Portsmouth, Va., and since traveled to the north country to execute Operation Commanding Force, a two-week training program hosted primarily at Fort Drum. Within that time, the group of corpsmen aims to sharpen skills and learn new ones through extensive hands-on medical training. Drills like Monday's abandon-ship scenario, or even a live-fire situation which they experienced at Fort Drum last week, emphasize the advantages of collaboration between branches of the military, capitalizing on strengths at sea and on land. "The more practice we get doing our real-life jobs and the more we get to operate with other agencies across the state whether it's federal, military, state, county the better we are," said Rear Adm. Lawrence Weill, of the New York Naval Militia, which contributed 12 servicemen and two watercraft to assist in the training Monday. Not to mention the decades of experience the group brought. The New York Naval Militia is the naval component of the New York State defense forces and operates the NYS Military Emergency Boat Service. As part of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the Naval Militia complements the Army and Air National Guard programs, as well as the New York State Guard The Latham-based company of about 2,700 servicemembers is mainly composed of federal reserve forces from the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard some full-time paid but mostly volunteer. Story continues But Monday's drill was a team effort across the board having been in the planning process for nearly a year with the cooperation of three separate agencies. "I'm not a very strong swimmer," one NMRTC corpsman said during the drill brief at the Alexandria Bay Coast Guard Station. It was met with friendly laughter. "For today's event, no one needs to know how to swim," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Peter M. Nelson, the station's commanding officer. "You just need to know how to float with a life jacket." Which also got a laugh from participants. FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Andy Biggs unveiled legislation on Tuesday to prohibit the White House from using taxpayer money to fund "woke" initiatives abroad. Biggs, R-Ariz., said the bill was needed to prevent President Biden from forcing other countries to adopt the Democratic Party's views on racial justice and gender equity. "Americans have already rejected the Biden Administrations radical social agenda, and yet it continues to try and force it on countries that have also rightly rejected it," the congressman told Fox News Digital "Imposing woke ideology on other countries is just another example of the Biden Administrations foreign policy failures." The bill comes in response to the State Department's decision last month to create a special representative for racial equity and justice. Administration officials say the position was created to combat systemic racism overseas. PROGRESSIVES LOSE DEFENSE BILL BATTLE TO EXPAND MILITARY ABORTIONS BUT WIN ON MANY 'WOKE' PRIORITIES As part of that goal, the special representative is tasked with ensuring that all State Department policies and programs take racial justice into mind. "Embedding equity across our work is imperative to ensuring better-informed and more effective foreign policies and programs that support all people regardless of their race or ethnicity," a State Department spokesman said at the time of the announcement. Biggs' bill, dubbed the Stop Imposing Woke Ideology Abroad Act, would prohibit U.S. tax dollars from funding the special representative's salary and expenses. It also prohibits federal funds from going to implement the State Department's equity action plan. WAR POWERS CAUCUS LEADER DEMANDS BIDEN GET CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL BEFORE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA The plan was released earlier this year in conjunction with the White House. It seeks to revamp foreign policy to focus significantly on advancing the plight of racial and ethnic communities across the globe. Story continues To that degree, the framework proposes to spend millions to boost the adoption of racial justice and gender inclusivity policies by foreign governments. "Using taxpayer dollars to fund the Biden Administrations woke programs abroad is a complete misuse of federal funding and further strains our relationships with countries abroad," said Biggs. "This legislation ensures we protect American interests and curb the Biden Administrations detached social agenda abroad." Neither the State Department nor the White House responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment. Since taking office, Biden has made addressing racial and general inequity a top priority across all levels of the government. The issue has been nowhere more apparent than when it comes to foreign policy and defense. Last week, Democrats included a provision within the national defense bill that allows U.S. tax dollars to be used for training foreign militaries on how to recruit women and combat sexual harassment. The program also allows the Pentagon to pick up the tab for foreign officers to attend training and conferences on the topic. Feinstein Baldwin Collins From left: U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Tammy Baldwin, and Susan Collins Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have introduced the Respect for Marriage Act, which would write equal marriage rights into law. The move comes just weeks after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 ruling that established marriage equality nationwide. For the high court to do so, a case would have to come up to it from lower courts, but bringing such a case is definitely a goal of anti-LGBTQ+ forces. The legislation would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996. DOMA barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages so therefore these spouses could not file taxes jointly, receive Social Security survivors benefits, or access any number of other federal benefits. It also allowed any state to deny recognition to same-sex marriages from other states. A 2013 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor found DOMA unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable, but its still on the books. The bill would further enshrine marriage equality in federal law by requiring that any person who is considered married in their home state be considered married by the U.S. government. This gives same sex and interracial couples additional certainty that they will continue to enjoy equal treatment under federal law as all other married couples as the Constitution requires, says a press release issued by the sponsors. And it would provide other legal safeguards by barring anyone acting under a state law from denying full faith and credit to a marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the spouses. The U.S. attorney general would have the power to enforce this, and anyone harmed by such a denial would have a right to sue. Marriage equality is a constitutional right that has been well established by the Supreme Court as precedent, and this freedom should be protected, Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin said in the press release. The bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act will enshrine and protect marriage equality and make sure legal same-sex, and interracial marriages are recognized. I take great pride in being a part of this bipartisan effort to protect the progress we have made on marriage equality, because we cannot allow this freedom and right to be denied. Story continues In overturning Roe v. Wade, the conservative Supreme Court majority indicated it is willing to attack other constitutional rights, including same-sex and interracial marriage, added Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. In fact, one justice specifically noted that the courts Obergefell decision confirming same-sex marriage should be revisited. Our bill would repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and ensure that marriage equality remains the law of the land. The Respect for Marriage Act will protect same-sex and interracial marriages from any radical or bigoted decision that may come from the current extreme Supreme Court majority, said U.S. Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island. As Chairman of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I want the LGBTQ+ community to know that this caucus is fighting for them and their right to live freely. This legislation will protect their marriages and ensure they continue to be recognized, even if a future Supreme Court overturns landmark marriage equality decisions. I am proud of this bill, and I urge Congress to promptly pass this legislation. In the Senate, Baldwin, the first out lesbian in the body, and Feinstein, both Democrats, introduced the bill Monday with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican who sometimes breaks with her party. In the House, the measures lead sponsors include several LGBTQ+ representatives and allies Cicilline, Sharice Davids, Mondaire Jones, Sean Patrick Maloney, Mark Pocan, Mark Takano, Angie Craig, Chris Pappas, Ritchie Torres, Joyce Beatty, Raul Ruiz, Judy Chu, and Hakeem Jeffries. All are Democrats. It was introduced by Democrat Jerrold Nadler of New York. It likely will come to a floor vote in the House this week, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced. The Supreme Courts extremist and precedent-ignoring decision in Dobbs v. Jackson [which overturned Roe] has shown us why it is critical to ensure that federal law protects those whose constitutional rights might be threatened by Republican-controlled state legislatures, he said in a press release. LGBTQ Americans and those in interracial marriages deserve to have certainty that they will continue to have their right to equal marriage recognized, no matter where they live, should the Court act on Justice Thomas draconian suggestion that the 2013 United States v. Windsor and 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges rulings be reconsidered or if it were to overturn Loving v. Virginia, the latter being the 1967 decision that states could not ban interracial marriages. The Human Rights Campaign praised the bills introduction. The Defense of Marriage Act which excluded legally married same-sex couples from accessing the federal rights, benefits, and obligations of marriage is a stain upon our nation and deserves to be relegated to the trash bin of history, HRC Interim President Joni Madison said in a press release. With the Respect for Marriage Act, Congress has the opportunity to right this wrong by creating an inclusive law that also standardizes the mechanism for evaluating when a marriage should be given federal recognition and affirms that public acts, records, and judicial proceedings should be honored across this country. Along with HRC, organizations backing the legislation include the American Civil Liberties Union, Center for American Progress, Equality Federation, Family Equality, Freedom for All Americans, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, Lambda Legal, National Black Justice Coalition, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Womens Law Center, and PFLAG. Follow More Advocate News on Pride Today Below Northampton, MA --News Direct-- Aflac Incorporated The Rockbridge Area Health Center (RAHC) received a $100,000 Aflac Community CareGrant award Wednesday, June 29, at a check presentation event held at Lexingtons Kids Playce park as part of Aflacs commitment to improving medical outcomes for individuals in communities throughout the country. The funds will help RAHC advance medical outcomes locally through the funding of a school-based culture of wellness program, as well as a multidisciplinary program to increase pre and postnatal care for those with limited resources. The ability of the Rockbridge Area Health Center to respond to the community health care needs is due in part to the special relationships we develop with like-minded people and with organizations such as Aflac, said Suzanne Sheridan, RAHC CEO. As we look forward, RAHC is committed to creating a culture of wellness in our community and we believe that success starts with our youth and working with families to support healthy choices. Following the check presentation by Teresa White, President of Aflac U.S., Aflac and Lexington officials unveiled the Aflac park bench, donated to Kids Playce park as a place for rest and reflection with hopes that residents who may be affected by health and financial challenges can find peace and comfort. Earlier this year, Aflac launched Close the Gap, a new initiative aiming to educate, support and advocate around the critical and rising issue of medical debt. The Aflac Care Index, a nationwide study examining Americans awareness of the exposure to debt resulting from medical bills not covered by insurance, informed the initiative. The Index identified 11 U.S. states that over-index for vulnerability to medical debt due to lack of savings. Virginia was among the 11 states identified as having the most medical debt exposure. Within Virginia, the Lexington-Rockbridge area was one of the regions categorized as medically underserved. Story continues Lexington and its surrounding area is a prime example of a community in this gap, said Teresa White, president, Aflac U.S. Its a special place, from its scenic landscapes and many outdoor activities to its institutions of higher learning, but a large number of its residents suffer from financial and health distress, and many are considered medically underserved, with 38% of the residents considered low-income and many who lack access to consistent, quality and affordable care. According to Aflac, the Rockbridge Area Health Center was selected for the award because of its steadfast mission of supporting the health and well-being of the community by offering affordable access to health care to anyone in need. The park bench is a physical manifestation of the commitments Aflac has made to the Close the Gap initiative and worked closely with the health center to understand the local community in choosing a widely accessible and natural space for the bench for congregating, recreation or reflection. At Aflac, we are committed to being there for Americans in their time of need, and we know the Rockbridge Area Health Center will use the CareGrant award to create long-term health and wealth impacts for the residents of the Lexington-Rockbridge area, White added. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Aflac Incorporated on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/rockbridge-area-health-center-receives-100-000-aflac-community-caregrant-803359678 Nationals star Juan Soto beat Julio Rodriguez in the final round of the MLB Home Run Derby, Open Champion Cameron Smith reported back on how many beers fit inside the Claret Jug, and Avalanche player Jack Johnson and his kids ate ice cream out of the Stanley Cup. PLUS: Pete Alonso missed a golden opportunity to be known as 3-peat Pete and Albert Pujols stole the show at the Home Run Derby. Video Transcript - He keeps going. He's down on the knee. He's got it. Bat is flipped sky high, and Juan Soto is your 2022 Home Run Derby champion. JARED QUAY: What a missed opportunity for Pete Alonso at the Home Run Derby. He could have been known as 3-peat Pete, but he got knocked out of the semi-finals round by Mariners rookie sensation, Julio Rodriguez. . The best moment of the Derby was when living legend Albert Pujols was surrounded and honored by all the players after what everyone thought was his last all-Star moment. Shockingly, Kyle Schwarber could only tie Poole's first round total, and then lost the swing off to the 42-year-old. The Hall-of-Famer fell to Juan Soto in the semifinal round, setting up a final with Julio Rodriguez. The Mariners rookie might have blasted 81 total home runs in the competition, but Soto got it done in the final round, winning it 19-18. Now, will the Nationals star somehow be able to parlay his win into a $500 million contract? I'm sure his agent will give it a shot. We saw Open champion, Cameron Smith, promise to find out how many beers the Claret Jug holds, and he was kind enough to provide the update. CAMERON SMITH: It's pretty much exactly two. Uhm, yeah, I had a good night last night with it. Cheers. JARED QUAY: Beer is a great choice to consume out of a trophy during the dog days of summer, but ice cream might be better. Jack Johnson of the Colorado Avalanche took his kids to the ice cream shop in Ohio, and like any sensible champion would do, he took the Stanley Cup with him. Those are employees loading scoops of a couple of different flavors of ice cream into the Stanley Cup for Johnson his kids to eat out of, and they didn't hold back. I see chocolate syrup, whipped cream, damn, you know what? I need some ice cream right now. That's lovely, but I just want to know who's responsible for cleaning that trophy out before it goes to the next guy. Is it Jack, the cup keeper Phil Pritchard, Stanley Cup runner-ups the Tampa Bay Lightning, who? Maybe they can get Elon Musk. That's what I want. Get the richest person cleaning it out. You know what? That will show us that money isn't everything. You ain't up above anything, Elon Musk. Clean up the Stanley Cup trophy. It's probably the most noble work you did this year. The invaders are shelling the Sumy region Over the course of the day of July 18, Russians shelled the Glukhivska, Shalyhinska, Bilopilska, Khotynska, Myropilska, and Esmanska municipalities of Sumy Oblast. Read also: Sumy and Bilopillia residents urged to leave for the weekend Significant damage was caused as a result of the attacks, with Zhyvytskyi reporting that two people were wounded. 16 residential houses, outbuildings, and vehicles were impacted by the attacks Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Getty Images Europe could crater into a recession without Russian gas deliveries, the IMF warned Tuesday. Nations would have to pool scarce supplies and impose price caps to try and avoid major recessions, it added. A top EU official doesn't believe Russia will resume Nord Stream 1 gas flows on schedule this week, the WSJ reported. A full halt in Russian gas supplies to Europe would spark recessions across the continent unless nations banded together to share liquid natural gas resources, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday. In addition to pooling dwindling supplies, avoiding major recessions would also require European nations to impose artificial price caps, IMF economists said in a blog post. Roughly 42% of European gas imports come from Russia, and a cutoff would trigger economic contractions of more than 5% over the next year for the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Italy, the IMF said. Under a best-case scenario, the EU's economy would contract by 0.4%, but shrink by more than 2% in a worst-case scenario. Plus, supply chain bottlenecks and hoarding by individual European nations could exacerbate any gas shortage and result in an even worse energy crunch. Russia has already stopped gas flows to Germany via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline during its annual maintenance period, which is supposed to end Thursday. But EU leaders don't expect a restart this week, the Wall Street Journal reported. European leaders have blamed Moscow for weaponizing energy supplies since the war in Ukraine started in February. Moscow has denied the accusations. The IMF's warning comes after Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva wrote in a blog post last week that the lender plans to cut its global economic growth forecast for later in July. She cited the ongoing war in Ukraine, 41-year-high inflation and the reverberations from COVID-19 lockdowns in China. "It's going to be a tough 2022 - and even possibly a tougher 2023, with increased risk of recession," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider KYIV (Reuters) -At least one person was killed in a Russian missile strike on the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Tuesday, the regional governor said. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region, said the attack caused loud explosions and a fire in a residential building. "The Russians hit the central part of the city...At least one dead civilian is currently known about," he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Rescue workers were on the scene. A photograph posted online by Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko and the city council showed flames pouring out of a residential building. Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, did not immediately comment on the situation in Kramatorsk. It has denied deliberately targeting civilians. After failing to capture the capital Kyiv at the outset of the invasion, Russia has shifted to a campaign of devastating bombardments to cement and extend its control of Ukraine's south and east. Ukrainian officials have said they expect Kramatorsk, a city of more than 150,000 people before the Russian invasion, to become one of the main focuses of Russia's offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine says Russian forces have intensified long-distance strikes on targets far from the front, killing large numbers of civilians. Moscow says it is hitting military targets. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Max Hunder, Editing by Timothy Heritage) LONDON (Reuters) - The chief of Russia's foreign spy service met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan this week, just three days after CIA Director William Burns visited Yerevan for talks, the Armenian government said. Sergei Naryshkin, the director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), met Pashinyan on July 18 in the same room where Pashinyan received Burns on July 15, according to pictures of the two meetings released by the Armenian government. Armenian statements on the two meetings were similar: they discussed bilateral relations and also questions of international and regional security, including in the South Caucasus, the Armenian government said. Russia's Sputnik state news agency quoted Naryshkin as saying: My visit to Yerevan is definitely not connected with the arrival of my American colleague. But I dont exclude that his visit is on the contrary connected with mine. Armenia is a Russian ally and Moscow has peacekeeping troops in Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian-controlled region of Azerbaijan, where Armenian forces were driven back in a disastrous war against Azerbaijan in 2020. In recent months, Armenia has held talks aimed at normalising relations with its NATO-member neighbour Turkey. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Peter Graff) IRYNA BALACHUK TUESDAY, 19 JULY 2022, 10:25 29 residents of Mykolaiv Oblast were injured as a result of Russian shelling last day. Source: Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Council Hanna Zamazieieva on Telegram Quote from Zamazieieva: "The occupiers are continuing to shell Mykolaiv Oblast. In the morning, air strikes were recorded on civil buildings of the private residential sector in one of the Mykolaiv districts. The houses were damaged and, unfortunately, there were casualties a woman and a man were injured. In total, 29 people were injured in Mykolaiv Oblast over the past day. There are no children among the casualties". Details: According to the head of the Oblast Council, the occupied areas of Bashtanka and Mykolaiv Districts, as well as Halytsynove, Shyroke, and Bereznehuvate hromadas came under fire from the occupiers. The Russians also hit settlements on the demarcation line. According to Zamazieieva, as of the morning of 19 July, 329 citizens who suffered from the attacks of the occupiers on Mykolaiv Oblast are in hospitals. Another 94 casualties were treated on an outpatient basis. Sarah Matthews is set to testify at Thursdays prime-time hearing of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, according to Monday evening reports. Matthews, who served as the former deputy press secretary in the Trump administration, resigned hours after the insurrection at the Capitol, where a pro-Trump mob sought to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. The Associated Press and CNN reported Monday that she and Matthew Pottinger, former deputy national security adviser, will testify Thursday at the last currently scheduled Jan. 6 hearing, which is set to focus on former President Trumps actions or lack thereof during the Capitol riot. Heres what we know about Matthews. Who is Matthews? Prior to her role at the White House in 2020, Matthews worked as a spokeswoman for Trumps reelection campaign. The Kent State University graduate said in an interview in 2020 that she met Kayleigh McEnany, the Trump campaigns then-national press secretary, through that job. She added that McEnany took Matthews with her when she left the campaign to become the White House press secretary. The 27-year-old is currently the communications director for Republicans on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, a position she has held since February 2021. Matthews, who had previously been supportive of the Trump administrations work during the former presidents term, took to Twitter in January to comment on the one-year anniversary of the insurrection, calling it one of the darkest days in American history. Make no mistake, the events on the 6th were a coup attempt, a term wed use had they happened in any other country, and former President Trump failed to meet the moment, Matthews wrote in a Twitter thread. While it might be easier to ignore or whitewash the events of that day for political expediency if were going to be morally consistent we need to acknowledge these hard truths, she added. Story continues She resigned on Jan. 6 Matthews was among the Trump White House staffers who resigned in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol attack. I was honored to serve in the Trump administration and proud of the policies we enacted. As someone who worked in the halls of Congress I was deeply disturbed by what I saw today, she said in a statement at the time. Ill be stepping down from my role, effective immediately. Our nation needs a peaceful transfer of power, she said. Matthews has expressed support for ex-White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson Matthews also expressed her support for Hutchinsons testimony before the House select committee investigating the riot last month, defending her former colleague amid criticism over her blockbuster testimony. She tweeted that anyone downplaying Cassidy Hutchinsons role or her access in the West Wing either doesnt understand how the Trump [White House] worked or is attempting to discredit her because theyre scared of how damning this testimony is. She has previously testified before the Jan. 6 panel Matthews appeared voluntarily before the House select committee in February. A source familiar confirmed to The Hill that Matthews was asked by the committee about the White Houses activities on the day of the attack. The committee on June 16 also played a clip from Matthewss testimony in which she commented on Trumps 2:24 p.m. tweet that targeted his vice president directly. Trump tweeted, Mike Pence didnt have the courage to do what should have been done, which, according to Matthews, was like pouring gasoline on the fire. The situation was already bad, and so it felt like he was pouring gasoline on the fire by tweeting that, Matthews said in the video clip. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A 22-year-old man was arrested Friday, claiming he wanted to kill as many people as he could, according to the Seattle Police Department. At about noon on July 15, a 22-year-old man approached a home under construction in the 700 block of 31 Avenue Northeast. According to the incident report, the man said he wanted to observe the workers and remained at the location for several hours. At some point, his behavior prompted the workers supervisor to ask the man to leave. The man did not leave and tried to remain in the backyard, hiding behind a structure. After a worker approached the man, the man stabbed the worker in the back with a large knife. When arriving officers and arrested the man and read him his Miranda rights, the man said he showed up that day planning to kill as many people as he could, according to the incident report. The man said he wanted to use a knife and hammer and make the scene as gruesome as possible, and that he wanted to be seen. The man allowed officers to search his backpack, where they found a rope and other items. The worker who was stabbed survived his injuries. The man was booked into jail for investigation of assault. After months of delay, lawmakers appear to be in the final stages of negotiating a $52 billion package of chip manufacturing and research subsidies to boost competitiveness with China. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) stressed that more U.S. tech companies will move semiconductor manufacturing plants overseas if Congress doesnt pass legislation soon. Will we get it done? Yes, Warner recently told Yahoo Finance during an interview through the Atlantic Council. We need to get it done and get it to the presidents desk before August comes because if not, a lot of these decisions by American and other companies theyre going to build elsewhere. Warner cited the news that chip giant Intel (INTC) recently delayed the groundbreaking for its new facility in Ohio as one example of companies becoming frustrated by uncertainty over the chips bill. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Sen. Mark Warner, and Sen. Todd Young discuss the Bipartisan Innovation Act on March 22, 2022. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) The U.S. would be vulnerable to changes in Chinese policy and national security risks without significant investment in the semiconductor industry, he added, given the "mother lode" of chip manufacturing occurring in Taiwan. Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM), or TSMC, dominates the global chips market with over half of the total foundry revenue. Should China move to block Taiwan's production, the ramifications could be economically devastating. It would not even take the Communist Party of China taking over Taiwan, Warner said. If they simply put some level of blockade on it that stopped the flow of these chips coming out of Taiwan to America and to other Western nations, you could create a worldwide recession, potentially depression, because we are so reliant on the production capabilities coming on Taiwan. Warner added that the U.S. needs to stand by Taiwan, but we also need to make sure that we continue to incentivize [Taiwan Semiconductor] to build five or six plants in America. Theyre not going to do that unless we can get this legislation to President Bidens desk. Story continues TikTok 'a huge concern' Warner also weighed in on another national security concern between the U.S. and China: TikTok data privacy. Warner and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, recently called on FTC Chair Lina Khan to investigate TikTok for alleged deceptive practices after BuzzFeed reporting indicated that Chinese engineers at parent company ByteDance were accessing U.S. users' data. The truth is that Chinese law requires any Chinese-owned company to give data to the Communist Party of China, Warner said. In the world of big data and artificial intelligence, the enterprises that have the most access to data will be winners. And if the Chinese Communist Party is scraping off all the literally millions of Americans or billions of people who use TikTok all of that data into their data storage areas thats a huge concern. Warner seemed optimistic that the FTC could move to investigate the allegations and act on data privacy violations. The FTC settled with TikTok in 2019 over similar claims. Ukrainian TikToker Alina Volik, who documented the Russian invasion of Ukraine on her social media before fleeing via Budapest, is currently in Spain where she is trying to start a new life in Madrid, Spain, March 27, 2022. REUTERS/Javier Barbancho The FTC has an ability to hold a company accountable if theyre using deceptive practices, Warner said. And we both think theres a pretty good case for that. Now obviously, TikTok is going to have due process, and the sooner the FTC can act on this to do the investigation, the better. When asked if Americans should allow their children on the app, which is highly popular among teenagers and young people, Warner advised parents to take a deep breath and consider it. In America, we have a due process and the FTC ought to do this investigation, Warner said. Im not saying Id get every parent to kick off their kids, but I might measure and monitor a little bit of their usage. And clearly, if theres not an ability to draw a bright line and one of the problems we have in this country is we still dont have data privacy laws in place at a national level then I would think long and hard." Kevin Cirilli is contributor to Yahoo Finance and a visiting media fellow in the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub. Follow Kevin on Twitter @kevcirilli Click here for politics news related to business and money Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday advanced protocols to support the accession of Finland and Sweden to join NATO, setting up a full Senate vote on expanding the alliance. The text, called a resolution of advice and consent to ratify NATO accession protocols, passed by voice vote. Senators from both sides of the aisle have urged a quick ratification for Finlands and Swedens accession to NATO as a strong signal of support for the alliance in the face of Russias war in Ukraine. Todays vote is further proof that the answer to aggression is not isolation, but deeper engagement with likeminded democracies, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a statement. As we look to expand NATO, the Senate also reaffirms its rock solid commitment to the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom from oppression. We must redouble our efforts to provide the Ukrainian people every weapon they need to fight this barbaric Russian war machine, he added. Sen. Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the committee, said in a statement that the bipartisan vote is a testament to the importance of the alliance and U.S. support for its enlargement. Now, I hope the Senate will move swiftly to pass the resolution of ratification so the United States can do its part to ratify Finlands and Swedens accession to NATO as soon as possible, he added. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) recorded his vote as present and has spoken out against expanding NATO, criticizing the alliance as provoking military aggression over diplomacy. In 2017, Paul blocked the Senate from voting for Montenegros accession to the alliance. Each government of NATOs 30-member countries must individually ratify the treaty to allow for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. At least 10 countries have already ratified the treaty to allow Stockholm and Helsinkis addition. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is holding back full support of his government for Finland and Sweden, saying in a television address on Monday that Ankara reserves the right to freeze their NATO bids if its security concerns are not met. Story continues Erdogan had earlier blocked Finland and Swedens application to NATO over what it says are concerns related to Kurdish militant groups, but removed its objections after the three countries signed a trilateral memorandum, laying out measures to address Turkeys concerns. This story was updated at 4:13 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave easy bipartisan approval Tuesday to admitting Finland and Sweden into NATO, as lawmakers aimed for quick Senate passage and a show of congressional support for expansion of the U.S. and European defense alliance in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine. Committee members approved the expansion by voice vote. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican and frequent critic of U.S. policy abroad, voted a neutral present rather than yes or no. The vote sets the expansion up for a decision by the full Senate as soon as next week. We obviously want to see Finland and Sweden brought into the alliance as soon as possible, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House after Tuesday's vote. These are modern militaries, militaries that we know well, Kirby said, stressing the strength that supporters say the two countries would bring to the military bloc. NATO's 30 members are considering the admission of the two northern European countries against a backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia's five-month-old offensive against a pro-West Ukraine government has led European and U.S. allies to tighten ranks and strengthen defenses against any further aggression by Russian President Vladimir Putin. As U.S. foreign policy priorities evolve to account for a changing world, what is self-evident is the future of the transatlantic partnership will be even more intertwined and integrated thanks to Putins recklessness," Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said in a joint statement with ranking Republican committee member Jim Risch of Idaho after his panel's endorsement. Todays vote is further proof that the answer to aggression is not isolation, but deeper engagement with likeminded democracies, Menendez said. Putin's invasion led Finland and Sweden to abandon longstanding policies of military nonalignment and seek to join forces with NATO, with its joint conventional and nuclear forces. Story continues President Joe Biden encouraged the move behind the scenes and welcomed leaders of the two countries to the White House in May to signal U.S. support. The NATO expansion proposal marks a rare moment of Republican and Democratic agreement on a substantive issue before Congress. Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in May that lawmakers were moving the membership applications at a faster pace than is usual for NATO expansion bids. He said he expected full Senate approval this month. Lawmakers are rushing to approve the matter before the long August break. The applications by Finland and Sweden initially had been expected to win easy approval from other NATO members as well. NATO member Turkey has rescinded an unexpected early announcement that it would block the two nations' admission. But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned this week that Turkey could still move to deny the expansion, if Finland and Sweden fail to crack down on members of banned Turkish Kurdish groups in exile there and meet other Turkish demands. ___ Lisa Mascaro and Will Weissert contributed to this report. A mother of two young Black girls is calling out Sesame Place Philadelphia after she says her daughters were intentionally dismissed by a performer dressed as a Sesame Street character over the weekend, sparking a fierce backlash online. In the now viral video posted Saturday on the mothers Instagram account, two young girls are seen excitedly reaching out to the character Rosita, the first bilingual muppet on Sesame Street. Although it appears that the performer had interacted with other children before reaching the girls, the video seems to show the character shaking their head no in the direction of the two young Black girls. We were on our way out of sesame place and the kids wanted to stop to see the characters, the mom wrote on Instagram. THIS DISGUSTING person blatantly told our kids NO then proceeded to hug the little white girl next to us! NBC News has not verified the allegations. A statement from Sesame Place Philadelphia to NBC News Monday evening said the company will conduct training for its employees to "better understand, recognize and deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience to our guests. " We sincerely apologize to the family for their experience in our park on Saturday; we know that its not ok," the statement said. "We are taking actions to do better. We are committed to making this right." Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that oversees the brand Sesame Street, said in a public statement Monday that the company had been assured that Sesame Place, which it described as a licensed park partner, will conduct a "thorough review of the ways in which they engage with families and guests." "What these children experienced is unacceptable," the statement said. Sesame Place Philadelphia initially said on Sunday that the costumes its performers wear sometimes make it difficult to see at lower levels and that sometimes performers miss hug requests from guests. Story continues Sesame Place said the performer portraying Rosita did not direct the no hand gesture, which was used more than once in the video, toward any specific person, but was instead gesturing that way in response to multiple requests from someone in the crowd who asked Rosita to hold their child for a photo which is not permitted. The Rosita performer did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated about the misunderstanding, the statement said. We spoke to the family and extended our apologies and invited them back for a special meet-and-greet opportunity with our characters. The mother, who has not responded to NBC News request for comment, reacted to the statement shortly after in an Instagram story. She called Sesame Places apology disrespectful and distasteful. I whole heartedly feel as though that statement was released to save face, the mom wrote. Dont try to tell me he cant see lower levels. He looked at them and said no!! Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office has arrested a Shreveport man who threatened to blow up a Shreveport Courthouse, making racial threats on July 18. According to Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, on Monday afternoon CPSO detectives determined that Patrick Duffy, 41, allegedly "messaged a person known to him about his plan to "blow up" a Shreveport courthouse and to kill African Americans." An arrest warrant was obtained and Duffy was taken into custody at his residence for one count of communicating false information of planned arson and one count of a hate crime. He was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center and his bond was set at $50,000 per charge. More: 3 new cases of monkeypox in Louisiana, here's what you need to know. Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport man arrested for threatening to blow up a courthouse Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So should Sosandar (LON:SOS) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. View our latest analysis for Sosandar How Long Is Sosandar's Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at March 2022, Sosandar had cash of UK7.0m and no debt. In the last year, its cash burn was UK2.3m. Therefore, from March 2022 it had 3.0 years of cash runway. Notably, however, the one analyst we see covering the stock thinks that Sosandar will break even (at a free cash flow level) before then. If that happens, then the length of its cash runway, today, would become a moot point. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Well Is Sosandar Growing? Sosandar actually ramped up its cash burn by a whopping 75% in the last year, which shows it is boosting investment in the business. It seems likely that the vociferous operating revenue growth of 142% during that time may well have given management confidence to ramp investment. Considering the factors above, the company doesnt fare badly when it comes to assessing how it is changing over time. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years. Can Sosandar Raise More Cash Easily? We are certainly impressed with the progress Sosandar has made over the last year, but it is also worth considering how costly it would be if it wanted to raise more cash to fund faster growth. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Story continues Sosandar has a market capitalisation of UK45m and burnt through UK2.3m last year, which is 5.1% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. Is Sosandar's Cash Burn A Worry? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Sosandar's cash burn. For example, we think its revenue growth suggests that the company is on a good path. Although its increasing cash burn does give us reason for pause, the other metrics we discussed in this article form a positive picture overall. It's clearly very positive to see that at least one analyst is forecasting the company will break even fairly soon. Taking all the factors in this report into account, we're not at all worried about its cash burn, as the business appears well capitalized to spend as needs be. Readers need to have a sound understanding of business risks before investing in a stock, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Sosandar that potential shareholders should take into account before putting money into a stock. Of course Sosandar may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here The Daily Beast Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / GettyFormer President Donald Trump says the Department of Justice must immediately return the documents seized from his office and residence at Mar-A-Lago because of alleged violations of attorney-client material and executive privileged material.This is, to put it plainly, completely bogus.Once Trump ceased being president, all executive privilege passed from him to President Joe Biden. Only the sitting president can assert executive privilege, and By Alasdair Pal, Uditha Jayasinghe and Devjyot Ghoshal COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's main opposition leader withdrew from the presidential race on Tuesday and promised support to a low-profile politician from the ruling party who will take on acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe in a tight contest. The 225-seat parliament votes on Wednesday to choose the new president, who will lead efforts to address the country's economic and political collapse. The house finalised three candidates on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how much support the two leading candidates, 73-year-old Wickremesinghe and 63-year-old Dullas Alahapperuma, had in parliament. Wickremesinghe is deeply unpopular among protesters who stormed his office and official residence earlier this month when he was prime minister, along with those of ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Nevertheless, Wickremesinghe is backed by a faction of the ruling party to be president. Former journalist and five-time lawmaker Alahapperuma has the support of a separate faction of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party as we all many in the opposition. Protesters, angered by months-long shortages of fuel and food and rocketing prices after the country nearly ran out of dollars for imports, came out on the streets on Tuesday against Wickremesinghe's candidacy. Outside Colombo's main railway station, a group of several hundred protesters shouted slogans against the Rajapaksa family and Wickremesinghe, who they see as the family's candidate. "We are protesting again Ranil. He is a corrupted man," said Duminda Nagamuwa, one of the protest organisers. "If Ranil comes we cannot have stability." As parliament met to finalise nominees for the post, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said he had dropped out of the race and would support Alahapperuma. "For the greater good of my country that I love and the people I cherish, I hereby withdraw my candidacy for the position of president," Premadasa said on Twitter. Story continues He said his main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya party and "our alliance and our opposition partners will work hard towards making" Alahapperuma the winner. Alahapperuma is seen as more acceptable to the protesters than Wickremesinghe. "I am a trustworthy politician who can build consensus not only across party lines in parliament but can get the support of religious leaders, young political activists, professionals and the wider public," Alahapperuma said in a statement announcing his nomination last week. REBUILDING PHASE Six-time prime minister Wickremesinghe took over as acting president last week after a popular uprising against the rule of the Rajapaksa family forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee to Singapore and resign. The third presidential contestant is Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, the leader of the leftist Janatha Vimukti Peramuna party, but he is not believed to have a realistic chance since his party and allies have only three seats in parliament. The next president will complete Rajapaksa's term that was scheduled to end in 2024. Hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and tax cuts by the Rajapaksa government, tea-growing Sri Lanka is in the midst of its worst economic crisis since it won independence from Britain in 1948. Inflation of over 50% and shortages of food, fuel and medicines have brought thousands onto the streets in months of protests that culminated in Rajapaksa's ouster and forced the country to seek help from overseas. India is willing to make more investments in Sri Lanka after supporting it with $3.8 billion this year, New Delhi's envoy in Colombo told the Indian Express newspaper. "The idea is to respond to Sri Lanka's requests for enabling them to meet their foreign exchange crisis," said Gopal Baglay, India's high commissioner in Sri Lanka. "We would like to continue to bring more investment into Sri Lanka because that will help create medium- and long-term capacity to respond within the Sri Lankan economy." Sri Lanka has also sought assistance from its fourth-biggest lender and India's rival, China. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Uditha Jayasinghe; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) A 19-year-old man has been sentenced for his role in an attempted catalytic converter theft in which his accomplice allegedly shot a man who interrupted them at a St. Paul business. Ramsey County District Judge David Brown last week stayed a two-year prison term for Eh Ler Pweh of St. Paul in connection with the Feb. 21 incident in the citys St. Anthony Park neighborhood. As part of a plea agreement, Pweh was put on probation for three years on a first-degree attempted aggravated robbery conviction; a second count was dismissed. Pweh also was sentenced to 70 days in the Ramsey County Correctional Facility, a sentence that he already has completed by being jailed after his arrest. Kaw Bleh Htoo, who authorities say shot the 51-year-old man, has pending court charges of second-degree assault-dangerous weapon-substantial bodily harm and two counts of first-degree attempted aggravated robbery. Htoo, 22, of St. Paul, is scheduled to return to court on the charges Aug. 8. Pweh was arrested Feb. 23 after driving and ditching a stolen car and was in possession of a gun that had an altered serial number, according to charges. On that case, Judge Brown last week stayed a prison sentence of a year a day on a conviction of receiving stolen property. Pweh was given three years of probation, which will be served concurrently with the attempted robbery conviction. Police were called to the business at 2350 Territorial Road around 3:40 p.m. on a report of a shooting and attempted theft. Officers spoke to the man, whod been shot in the buttocks, as he was being loaded into an ambulance. He told officers he was inside where he works and saw a dark Toyota Scion sedan park next to a co-workers Toyota Tundra pickup truck. He said it is a quiet parking lot, but they have had catalytic convertor thefts in the past. He said he went to the parking lot to investigate and saw someone in the drivers seat of the car and someone under the truck. He said he heard a sawing noise and saw legs sticking out, so he put his foot on one of the legs and yelled, Stop that! the complaint read. Story continues He said he heard a gunshot, then realized hed been shot. He fell to the ground and crawled back to the business, where co-workers helped him until police arrived. Surveillance video from the business shows the incident as the man had described, according to police. It shows the two suspects flee the area in the sedan while the wounded man was lying in the parking lot. Two days later, officers on patrol near Rice and Front streets spotted a car matching the Scion. It ran a red light and crashed into a snowbank on Sylvan Street. Three males fled on foot. Officers chased and arrested Pweh, whod been driving, and three other males. A black 9mm semi-automatic handgun was found in the area where Pweh was taken into custody. The guns magazine was missing and its serial number scratched off. The car had been reported stolen from Forest Street in St. Paul on Feb. 2. When interviewed, Pweh said that when he bought the gun, the serial number had already been scratched off. He admitted to trying to steal the catalytic converter, but refused to tell investigators who shot the man, according to the complaint. Pweh said he knew the car was stolen. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Pwehs cell phone, which showed text messages between him and Htoo that referenced cutting, the complaint read. Htoos cell phone was also traced back to the business at the time of the shooting. In a jail call with Pweh, Htoo praised him for not giving police any information, according to the complaint. Htoo was arrested May 25 at a residence on Bush Avenue in St. Paul. He had an active Dakota County warrant. In an interview with investigators, Htoo initially denied involvement in the shooting. When faced with evidence, he admitted he was the shooter and asked how much time he was looking at, the complaint states. He said it was an accident and that he was scared of the victim, who was bigger and was kicking Pweh while he was under the car. Investigators learned the victim suffered a broken pelvis from the gunshot and would not be able to walk for at least six weeks. Related Articles Endotronix, a digital health and medical technology company, plans to relocate its headquarters to an 80,000-square-foot office in Naperville, from its current location in Lisle. The company, which makes a device meant to help patients and doctors detect worsening heart failure sooner from home, has signed a lease for a facility at 1415 Diehl Road in Naperville. The facility is now undergoing construction to fit Endotronixs needs, including a cleanroom, manufacturing and administrative space. Advertisement The first phase of construction is scheduled to wrap up early next year. The company expects to expand its workforce by another 30 to 50 people as it launches a new product and moves headquarters. Naperville offers an ideal location to plant our roots, offering a skilled workforce, affordable quality of life for our employees, desirable proximity to Chicago and strong sense of community, said Harry Rowland, CEO of Endotronix, in a news release. Advertisement The company makes the Cordella Heart Failure System, which is designed for early detection of worsening heart failure by allowing doctors to monitor patients from home and then manage their medications to keep them out of the hospital. The company is also working on an implantable wireless pulmonary artery pressure sensor, to provide even earlier data, to be used as part of the system. That sensor has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but the company anticipates launching it once it gains premarket approval. By Gloria Dickie LONDON (Reuters) -Hot night time temperatures are hindering firefighting responses across Europe and worsening health conditions as bedtime fails to provide a cooling reprieve, experts said on Tuesday. On Monday, Britain experienced its warmest night on record with temperatures failing to dip below 25 Celsius (77F) in some places. Meanwhile, La Hague in Normandy, France, registered 32.8C at 3 a.m. on Tuesday. Across much of the planet, night time temperatures are actually rising at a faster rate than day time temperatures under climate change. "Hotter nights means people and our environment don't get a break from climate change," said Jennifer Balch, a fire ecologist at the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States. In a February 2022 study in the journal Nature, Balch and her team found that the cool, damp nights which once helped tame roaring wildfires are disappearing. "Nights have gotten 25% hotter and drier globally over the past 40 years," said Balch, noting a 36% increase in the number of after-dark hours that are warm and dry enough to sustain fire. This means that exhausted firefighters aren't getting a respite. Currently, some 1,700 firefighters are battling blazes around France's coastal Gironde region. Many more have been dispatched to fires in Spain and Portugal. SLEEPLESS IN EUROPE Hot nights can also take a toll on people's physical and mental health. "Sleep is interrupted for many people during heatwaves," said Laurance Wainwright, an environmental lecturer at the University of Oxford. Poorer sleep quality or shorter sleep duration can worsen outcomes in those with major depressive disorder. "Tossing and turning and sweatinga few days of that for some people can be problematic," he said. Sweltering nights following steamy days can also make it difficult for people to recover. "The body is trying to get to a lower temperature and that is stressful for the cardiovascular system and respiratory system and keeps the heart rate high," said Dominic Roye, a climatologist at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Story continues Roye was previously involved with a pilot study examining the effect of hot nights on mortality in southern Europe. The results, he said, showed a clear link, particularly for people suffering from cardiovascular conditions. "If you have this kind of high temperature environment you cannot achieve deep sleep," he said. While healthy people might just feel tired the next day, this can prove fatal for those with underlying medical conditions, he added. (Reporting by Gloria Dickie in London; Additional reporting by Aislinn Laing and Emma Pinedo in Madrid, Editing by Alexandra Hudson) A number of Democratic representatives including members of "the Squad" and House leadership were arrested outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon for protesting the recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Katherine Clark, D-Mass., were among those arrested for blocking traffic. Clark serves as the assistant speaker, the No. 4 position in Democratic leadership. The extremist Republican Party is determined to take us back in time and take away our rights. I refuse to stand on the sidelines as their rampage continues, Clark said in a statement following her arrest. I am furious and heartbroken, and I will proudly fight for our right to abortion and all of our Constitutional rights. They can arrest me, but we wont allow them to arrest freedom. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, is escorted from a sit-in outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday to protest the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) The Capitol Police said they had arrested 35 people, including 17 members of Congress, for "Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding." Law enforcement officials said they had already given our standard three warnings. Some of the demonstrators are refusing to get out of the street, so we are starting to make arrests. While the Democratically controlled House passed legislation last week that would protect the right to an abortion, it is set to die in the Senate. The June 24 decision by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade has resulted in millions of Americans losing their access to abortion and delaying lifesaving pregnancy care for other women. The press secretary for Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., another member of the Squad, tweeted a video of the second-term congresswoman being escorted away by police, adding that she was arrested protesting on the steps of the Supreme Court for abortion rights. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another member, tweeted a video of the arrests. Today I was arrested while participating in a civil disobedience action with my fellow Members of Congress outside the Supreme Court. I will continue to do everything in my power to raise the alarm about the assault on our reproductive rights! pic.twitter.com/rpFYOGBDf4 Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 19, 2022 Reps. Barbara Lee of California, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Cori Bush of Missouri, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Jackie Speier of California, Carolyn Maloney of New York, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Sara Jacobs of California, Alma Adams of North Carolina, Bonnie Watson of New Jersey, Nydia Velazquez of New York, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania and Andy Levin of Michigan were among the other legislators arrested. Story continues One has a moral responsibility to push back against unjust laws, Lee commented on her official Twitter account. Today, I am standing up for reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy in solidarity with the millions who have had their rights stripped away by inhumane policies. I introduced legislation yesterday and today to protect reproductive freedom, wrote Bush on Twitter. Today my colleagues and I put our bodies on the line because we will leave no stone unturned in our fight for justice. Bans off our bodies. Last month, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., was arrested outside the Supreme Court for protesting. In July 2021, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, was arrested at the Hart Senate Office Building for protesting in favor of voting rights legislation. LOME (Reuters) - Civilians in a part of northern Togo attacked by suspected Islamist militants last week have been fleeing their homes en masse to seek refuge in nearby cities, a local mayor said. More than 25 people were killed in the attacks on four villages in the Kpendjal district, near the border with Burkina Faso, two local activists told Reuters. The government said a number of people were killed but did not say how many. "People are leaving their villages en masse," Arzoume Sambiani, the mayor of a part of Kpendjal, said in a statement on Monday. He urged civilians to return to their villages and resume their everyday activities while avoiding travel after dark. Togo's government declared a state of emergency last month across the wider Savanes region in the north. Togo has experienced a spate of attacks this year linked to a spillover of jihadist violence that has ravaged its northern neighbours in the Sahel region over the past decade. Militant violence previously confined to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger has been spreading into coastal West African countries, including Benin and Ivory Coast, despite the presence of foreign troops across the region. (Reporting by Alice Lawson and Aaron Ross; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Sandra Maler) Jul. 19Trotwood police are continuing to seek the community's help locating a 1-year-old boy last seen in late June. Cannon Harris-Brown was last known to be with his non-custodial father, Ceasar Brown, according to a press release issued by police. Brown reportedly took the boy for a one-hour visit on June 28 and has not returned Harris-Brown. Brown provided false information for his residence and the location of the boy, according to police. Harris-Brown is approximately 28 tall and weighs 28 pounds. He was last seen wearing an orange onesie and black tennis shoes. Brown has a warrant for his arrest and is wanted by the police, according to Trotwood police. Anyone with information on Harrison-Brown or Brown's location should call Detective Natalie Watson at 937-854-7238 or the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center at 937-225-4357. The leader of Tunisia's Islamist-inspired opposition party Ennahdha arrived Tuesday for questioning by an investigating judge at an anti-terror centre, just days before a hotly contested constitutional referendum. More than 20 security vans were stationed in front of the headquarters of the anti-terror centre where about 200 Ennahdha activists were gathered in support of their leader Rached Ghannouchi, AFP correspondents said. Supporters chanted Ghannouchi's name as he entered the building, making a V-sign with their fingers for victory and waving placards. "Stop political trials", one read, written in both English and Arabic. Ghannouchi, 81, has been under investigation since June amid allegations of corruption and money laundering linked to transfers from abroad to the charity Namaa Tunisia, affiliated with Ennahdha. As part of the same investigation, Tunisian authorities last month arrested former prime minister and one-time Ennahdha leader Hamadi Jebali for alleged money-laundering. Jebali was later released, but is due to face questioning on the allegations on Wednesday. Earlier this month, a court ordered the freezing of the bank accounts of Ghannouchi and a dozen members of his family and his party -- including Jebali -- as part of this investigation. In June, Ghannouchi was also handed a ban from travelling abroad as part of a separate investigation into high-profile political assassinations that rocked the country in 2013. Ennahdha and Ghannouchi deny all charges against them. Tunisia's long-running political crisis took a dramatic turn last July when President Kais Saied sacked the government, froze the Ennahdha-dominated parliament headed by Ghannouchi, and seized far-reaching powers. Saied has put forward a draft constitution set for referendum on July 25, the anniversary of his power grab. Opponents accuse him of waging political vendettas and dragging the country back to dictatorship, over a decade since its pro-democracy revolt sparked the Arab Spring uprisings. ak-ayj-fka/pjm/dv ANKARA Turkeys defense and aerospace exports in the first half of 2022 reached a record high of almost $2 billion, up 48 percent from the same period in 2021, official statistics revealed on July 19. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Turkish exports may come close to or exceed the $4 billion mark by the end of 2022, an annual all-time high. The rise in exports, which came after two years of decline during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, should be attributed primarily to aerospace, and home-made drones in particular, said Ozgur Eksi, an Ankara-based defense analyst. These numbers tell us that the Turkish industrys dependence on local sales is diminishing and exports are helping Turkish companies to become self-sufficient. Turkey has supplied 96 drones to international clients, including Poland, the first European buyer of the famed TB-2, developed by Baykar Makina. Defense industry officials say potential buyers of Turkish-made drones include the United Kingdom, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovakia, Uruguay, and Albania. According to SaSaD, an umbrella organization for Turkeys defense and aerospace manufacturers, total business in 2021 reached $10.1 billion. Exports totaled to $3.2 billion, exceeding imports, at $2.6 billion, by 23 percent. Turkish companies won new orders worth $8.5 billion in the same year. The industry employs 75,000 people and spends $1.6 billion annually on research and development. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the Kurdish YPG militia was taking steps to divide Syria with foreign support and that it would benefit the Syrian people to rid the country of them. Speaking in Tehran at a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Russia and Iran, Erdogan said he saw that the two countries understand Turkey's security concerns but words were not enough. He said Turkey's battle against the YPG and other militia would continue without a care for who supports it. Ankara has carried out four operations in northern Syria since 2016, seizing hundreds of kilometres of land and mainly targeting the YPG. Erdogan has said Turkey will again target the YPG, which it regards as a terrorist group, despite opposition from Russia and Iran. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler) The University of Floridas Thompson Earth Systems Institute next week will host high-school teachers for a five-day workshop to learn about improving disease resistance in crops. The university said the workshop will try to connect scientists with teachers in an effort to develop lesson plans aimed at helping students better understand issues surrounding agriculture and food security. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The eight teachers, from Alachua, Broward, Collier, Marion, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and St. Johns counties, are primarily from Title I schools, which serve large numbers of low-income students. The program will run from July 25 through July 29. Im excited to show our educators that the information gained from this research may contribute to both crop improvement and rational drug design for human diseases, Wen-Yuan Song, an assistant professor in the universitys Department of Plant Pathology and the workshops principal investigator, said in a statement. My hope is the teachers bring this information back to their classrooms and inspire students to consider careers in plant pathology. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Thunderstorm warnings have been issued for Wednesday. (PA) Thunderstorm warnings have been issued for Wednesday as the UK battles the hottest temperatures ever recorded. On Tuesday, the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning covering swathes of southern and eastern England from 1pm on Wednesday, saying heavy showers and storms could bring disruption to those areas. Forecasters warned driving conditions could become problematic as downpours lead to sudden flooding and some road closures. Experts also said there is a "slight chance" towns could see power cuts, homes and businesses could see losses of other services. Tuesday saw UK temperatures soar into the forties for the first time ever after a reading of 40.2C was recorded at Heathrow. Scientists have warned that the extreme heat is fuelled by climate change, which is making heatwaves more intense, frequent and likely. People have been warned to stay indoors, drink fluids, and look out for those who are vulnerable or live alone. The previous record was 38.7C, which was reached at Cambridge Botanic Garden on 25 July 2019. The warning comes after the UK experienced its hottest night on record. People enjoy the beach in Folkestone, Kent, during the hot weather on July 18 2022. Temperatures did not fall below 25C over Monday night in some places, experts said, which exceeded the previous highest daily minimum record of 23.9C, recorded in Brighton on 3 August 1990. Santon Downham in Suffolk saw a peak of 38.1C on Monday, making it the third hottest day on record, after 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019 and 38.5C in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003. Another record was broken in Wales, as a high of 37.1C was recorded in Hawarden, Flintshire, beating the previous record of 35.2C, recorded in the same place on 2 August, 1990. Watch: Forecasters predict worst to come for UK and Ireland Gaze down at loaded dinner plates at Chicagos Sicilian, Spanish and Moroccan restaurants and theres a common thread spun from the pages of history: Each region was ruled by the Moors at some point, and the influence is clear. Saffron, rice, eggplant, spinach, vinegar-marinated fish, sugar cane, almonds and pistachios are just a pinch of the many ingredients the Moors introduced to these cuisines. The complex lesson in world history plays out in North African, Andalusian and Sicilian cooking, if you know where to look. Advertisement In the Early Middle Ages after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 A.D., the Roman Byzantine empire was losing its territories in northwest Africa to the Omayyad caliphate, which was ruled from Damascus, Syria. Throughout the seventh century, the Omayyads expanded rapidly. Many of the indigenous people of northwest Africa, who the Romans called Berbers, became Islamized and Arabized to various degrees as the Arabs integrated, marrying Berbers and building societies together. Soon, a combined Omayyad force of Arabs and Berbers now known as the Moors conquered Spain and Portugal. About a century later, the emirate of Sicily was declared. Advertisement Hundreds and hundreds of years later, the impact is still woven into flavors across a wide span of cuisines, including in dishes found at these five Chicago-area restaurants. Shokran Arabs introduced dried fruits and possibly also the idea of sweet and savory cooking, says Khalid Kamal, owner of Moroccan restaurant Shokran in the Old Irving Park neighborhood. As Arabic people arrived in Morocco, Algeria and other nations in what they called the Maghreb (the west), they found a vast region of already developed agriculture. Berber societies had kings who enjoyed fine dining, and local Jews and Christians incorporated their own culinary creativity. Shokrans chicken bastilla ($11) is like a time capsule from this period and the later Moor era. Described in 13th century Andalusian cookbooks and served at modern-day Moroccan weddings, the bastilla is a pie with shredded chicken cooked into a stew with onions, ginger, cinnamon and turmeric. The stew gets mixed with eggs, parsley, roasted almonds and orange blossom water. Stuffed into a phyllo shell, the bastilla then gets baked and sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Moroccan cuisine is built on slow cooking so the spices dont burn and can release their flavors properly, said Kamal, who grew up on a farm near Fez, in northern inland Morocco. He often watched his mother and her friends meet to drink tea and make couscous, rolling each tiny grain by hand. The greatest challenge to getting these dishes right is the process, he said. 4027 W. Irving Park Road, 773-427-9130, shokranchicago.com Boqueria In Spain, the Moors introduced pickling with vinegar, and if you go to Boqueria, a Spanish restaurant in the heart of the Fulton Market district, you can try white anchovy boquerones ($12). Other Moor-inspired tapas include pintxos morunos lamb kebabs ($15), the vegetarian escalivada ($15) with fire-roasted eggplant and labne yogurt, and roasted broccoli ($14) with almond ajo blanco, sumac, raisins and mint. 807 W. Fulton Market, 312-257-3177, boqueriarestaurant.com La Vieja Castilla Feel like youve wandered into the kitchen of a welcoming Castilian family at this south suburban Spanish restaurant, where paella is served sizzling hot and the sangria is strong. In Spanish, many Moorish dishes and ingredients begin with the letter A: arroz (rice), aceituna (olives), and also albondigas (meatballs), which youll find at both Boqueria ($17) and La Vieja Castilla in Blue Island ($8). Advertisement 13023 S. Western Ave., Blue Island; 708-577-4578; facebook.com/LaViejaCastillaBlueIsland Bocadillo Market At Bocadillo Market in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, chef James Martin offers tuna crudo with a harissa citrus vinaigrette ($19), and almond pie with pickled cranberries ($12). The Arabic-Berber flavors bring me a lot of the passion, and the history helps me cook this food because of that African influence, Martin said. These flavors can go in so many different ways, whether its delicate airy tuna or hearty smoked lamb ribs. [ Review: To tell a different story of Black excellence, Bocadillo Market explores Spain and the American South ] Sicily is such a melting pot with descendants from mainland Italy and Greece; Arabs; Berbers who converted to Islam; and exiled Jews from Andalusia that just like with Moroccan cuisine, its difficult to pull apart this interwoven fabric of ethnicities to tell who contributed which thread. Many groups influenced Spanish cooking, but Moors have the heaviest concentrated influence because of all the ingredients they brought and how they advanced things like olive oil production, Martin said. They learned how to preserve fish many centuries before refrigeration, and now we create that as a luxury. This culture ate well, and healthy. Youd be hard-pressed to find another region in Italy that uses mint as liberally in pastas and meats. Eggplant caponata or sardines with pine nuts, raisins and saffron are striking examples of agrodolce (sour and sweet). Jasmine water is used in granitas and watermelon puddings. Marsala and its wine are named after the port of Allah (Marsa Allah), and the wine is found in rich sauces and the dessert zabaglione. Advertisement 2342 N. Clark St., 773-857-0331, bocadillomarket.com Sfera Sicilian Street Food Even arancini, the bread crumb-battered and fried rice balls that youll find at Sfera Sicilian Street Food ($9), date to the 10th century, when the Kalbid dynasty ruled Sicily. Sfera, which is run by chefs Steven Jarczyk and Daniela Vitale, has kept operations lean during the pandemic, focusing on pop-ups. This spring, however, they opened a bricks-and-mortar takeout spot with a small counter in Edgewater. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Were excited to expand our ingredients in ways we havent had the space to do before, so youll see dishes with pomegranate, mint-infused juices, cassata cake and more, Jarczyk said. 847-957-3045, sferachicago.com Nikki ONeill is a freelance writer. Chornobyl NPP Although the nuclear reactors at the facility have been shut down, there are still three nuclear waste silos at Chornobyl NPP. When invading Russian troops turned the premises in a makeshift military base, they were in flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits any attacks on nuclear infrastructure objects. After occupying the NPP on Feb. 24, the Russians violated nuclear safety regulations in the following ways: Buildings were damaged, surrounding area was laden with landmines, and several fires contributed to dangerous air pollution with radioactive mate-rial; Regular monitoring of background radiation levels was suspended, as well as necessary supply of spare parts and fuel; NPP employees were held essentially captive, increasing the risks of human error due to stress. Read also: After dam break saved the capital, dozens of houses still underwater in flooded village of Demydiv NV report The SBU also said it has evidence of Russias illegal activity at the site: Large numbers of Russian armor and over 1,000 troops were stationed around the NPP; The invaders have set up temporary bunkers at one nuclear waste silo, which stores spent Plutonium-239 rods; At least 100 Russian landmines were found in the area; three of which exploded; Russian activity left the facility almost completely without power on March9, shutting down nuclear waste silo cooling systems; NASA and ESA satellites registered fires across 14 acres of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, while firefighters were prevented from putting the fires out; Russian troops looted a warehouse of specialized equipment and fuel at the NPP. The EU-funded Ecocenter laboratory was also trashed. Twenty-one sources of ionized radiation were stolen, which could potentially contaminate as much as 2,000 square kilometers of land; The invaders erected earthworks near the Red Forest a highly-contaminated area. The exclusion zone is still not completely swept for mines, the SBU added. Story continues Read also: Chornobyl NPP director reveals the extent of looting by withdrawn Russian forces This jeopardizes the radiation safety of the site, which Ukraine and its international partners spent decades to establish. The risk of uncontrolled detonations and resulting fires still remains. After seizing Chornobyl NPP on Feb. 24, Russian troops kept Chornobyl employees hostage. A partial personnel rotation was made possible only on March 20. Russian forces withdrew from the facility and nearby city of Slavutych on March 31, retreating towards Belarus. On their way out, Moscows troops looted the NPP and the hotel in Chornobyl, stealing appliances and even cutlery. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukraines first lady, Olena Zelenska, visited the White House on Thursday to meet with first lady Jill Biden about the war Russia is waging in her country, as part of a bilateral meeting of Ukrainian and U.S. officials. The two women planned to discuss the human cost of Russias aggression to Ukraine, according to the White House. Biden moderated a bilateral meeting with U.S. representatives, including second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and Ukrainian representatives who included the countrys ambassador to the United States. Zelenska was greeted at the White House by both the first lady and President Joe Biden, who gave her a bouquet of blue, yellow and white flowers. In later remarks, Jill Biden said she had spoken with her team about improving mental health for mothers and children who had really suffered such tragedy and atrocities in the war, according to pool reports. You cannot go into a war zone and come back and not feel the sorrow and pain, Biden said on Thursday of her visit to Ukraine in May. The American first lady made a surprise visit to the country on Mothers Day. Jul. 19Lora Pavlenko never believed Russia would invade her county. She and many Ukrainians believed the talk of a Russian invasion was a bunch of bluster until it happened, she told the St. Mary Kiwanis Club on Monday. "We wanted to lead a normal life," she said. "Then at 4 a.m. the Russians launched an attack on our country. They bombed everything, hospitals, hotels, schools, apartments, grocery stores, everything. We were in shock," Pavlenko has visited the St. Marys Kiwanis Club three times as a representative of her Kiwanis Club in Ukraine over the past decade or so. This visit was not planned until she and other family members fled the war-torn nation. Pavlenko's presentation was interpreted by her daughter, Renata Chorna, who explained the reaction of her daughter, Christina, the day of the invasion when told she would not be going to school. "She was so happy," Chorna said. "I knew the war was beginning." During the presentation, Pavlenko showed photos and video of the Russian invasion, including hospitals and schools bombed to rubble, bodies lying in pools of blood with their hands tied behind their backs and missiles striking civilian targets. "Russian soldiers thought they could take our cities in a couple of days," Pavlenko said. "Russian soldiers killed people for fun. It was a game for them." Pavlenko said it didn't take long to realize it was too dangerous for her family to remain in Ukraine, so they fled by train to Hungary. "They destroyed the place we lived," she said. She had several close brushes with death that make her grateful to be alive. In one instance, Ukrainian soldiers emphatically ordered her to stop walking immediately. She obeyed and learned she was one step away from stepping onto a land mine that could have killed everyone. In another instance, she was caught between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers that for some reason didn't fire on each other until she was out of the way. Story continues "God saved my life several times," she said. She was on a bus with other civilians when Russians opened fire on the vehicle. Pavlenko said she told everyone to lie on the floor and all complied. Later it was clear by the bullet holes that there would have been casualties had people remained in their seats. Pavlenko left everything behind, including her husband, a pastor serving in the Ukrainian army. "Russian soldiers steal everything from the homes," she said. "They just want to take our country and make it part of Russia." Pavlenko said the Russian people aren't interested in the truth. "Russian people are like zombies," she said. "They believe everything their government tells them." So far, Pavlenko said more than 12 million people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine because of the war. "Everyone's depressed all the time," she said. "It's hard to understand what's happened to our people." At the end of the meeting, Pavlenko and her family were presented two checks totaling $6,000 from the state and local Kiwanis officials. The president of the University of Rhode Island is condemning what he describes as a "racist video" involving at least one former member of the men's track and field team. The video, which surfaced over the weekend, features someone who appears to be a current member of the URI track team and is posted to the since-deleted account of a former team member. The University learned [Friday] of at least two of our students allegedly involved in the posting of a racist video on social media, URI president Marc B. Parlange wrote in a statement. The video appeared to promulgate racist stereotypes about Black people and was a stinging reminder of the long road URI and America has to travel to truly achieve justice, equity, diversity and inclusion on campus and in society." This video was posted by some students of the @universityofri track & field team on TikTok recently. Ashamed that were still dealing w/ blatant racism + blackface in 2022. Glad my brother @Robert_Wayne83 is up there to handle these matters. pic.twitter.com/O8KJnoszPF on Vallz (@MontVallz) July 15, 2022 Monty Valles, a local youth football coach, posted a screen grab to Twitter on Friday of a video from the TikTok account of Brendan Cesati, who was listed on the URI mens track roster as a freshman in 2020-21 season but not on the 2021-22 team. Cesati is from North Andover, Massachusetts. In the video, the operator of the camera holds up a piece of watermelon and asks a blond man to his left, Do you want some watermelon? The man replies, Im all right. The camera pans right with the watermelon, then back left. The man, whose face is now covered in what appears to be barbecue sauce, takes a large bite while the operator of the video recorder and others at the table laugh. Story continues URI campus, Kingston. Parlanges statement said: URI will follow university policies and procedures regarding this issue and will work toward a swift resolution. The URI director of athletics, Thorr Bjorn, and the mens track and field coach, Trent Baltzell, did not respond to emails with questions about the video. A direct message sent to Cesatis Instagram account in search of a comment also did not receive a response and his TikTok account no longer exists. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: URI president Marc Parlange condemns racist video on social media One by one, dozens of angry parents and residents lambasted the Uvalde school board, repeatedly calling for the superintendent to be fired and trustees to step down after more law enforcement failures were revealed in the response to the shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. "Shame on you!" a chorus erupted as the meeting got underway Monday evening. Hundreds of community members crammed into an auditorium at Uvalde High School, questioning school officials' handling of safety and demanding accountability from the people paid to protect the children and school staff. Several speakers reinforced calls for the firing of the embattled Uvalde school district police chief, Pete Arredondo, who remains on paid administrative leave even after resigning his City Council seat. "If hes not fired by noon tomorrow, I want your resignation and every single one of you board members because y'all do not give a damn about our children or us," Brett Cross told Superintendent Hal Harrell and other board members. Cross' niece, 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, died in the May 24 mass shooting. While some board members attempted to respond to the flurry of complaints and criticisms, none offered concrete information or details that assuaged the audiences apparent fury. Instead, they appeared dumbfounded by continued calls for transparency and a change in leadership. Monday's school board meeting, which lasted more than three hours, followed the release of dramatic police body camera video that showed multiple officers expressing confusion and doubt over the delay in moving in on the shooter. Image: (Eric Gay / AP) Release of the footage follows a blistering report, released Sunday, by a Texas committee that found systemic failure and egregiously poor decision making by law enforcement and the school district. Investigators found a lack of leadership and coordinated response among responding law enforcement agencies, problems with school infrastructure and communication, including poor Wi-Fi, unlocked doors and a failure to identify the gunman's previous behavior as a potential threat. Story continues "I am disgusted with your leadership," Robb Elementary School parent Tina Ann Quintanilla-Taylor said at Monday's meeting. Her daughter, Mehle Taylor, 10, lost her best friend, Rogelio Torres, in the shooting. He was one of several of Taylor's close friends killed in the massacre. "I don't want to go to your school if you don't have protection," Taylor told the school board Monday evening. Last week, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District announced security plans for the upcoming academic year including relocating elementary students to other schools and adding more security and fencing to campuses. School officials said they plan to propose postponing the start of the academic year to after Labor Day as officials finalize security upgrades, including hiring additional law enforcement officers. But parents, residents and even students from other Uvalde-area schools say more needs to be done to protect children, criticizing current plans as insufficient. "How am I supposed to come back here?" asked Uvalde High School student Jazmin Cazares, whose younger sister, Jaclyn, was among those killed May 24. "What are you going to do to make sure I don't have to watch my friends die?" she asked. "What are you going to do make sure I don't have to wait 77 minutes bleeding out on the floor just like my sister did?" Robb Elementary School parent Rachel Martinez said her daughter cries at the thought of returning to school and feels safe only at home with her parents. This failure falls on all of you," she said. "You need to clean house," Martinez said. "You need to start from zero. Hire experienced trained officers who are prepared to take the responsibility to protect our children." Monday's calls for accountability echo what community members have been demanding since the deadly shooting. Residents have gathered in auditoriums, flooded the streets in protest and even attended hearings across Texas in an attempt to secure justice for the victims and understand how the law enforcement response failed so spectacularly. I can hold myself together now because Ive done my crying. Now its time to do my fighting," said Vicente Salazar, grandfather of Robb Elementary School victim Layla Salazar. "This is just the beginning of a war you guys created." Reuters HONG KONG (Reuters) -The move to delist five Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) signals Beijing may be willing to compromise in order to strike an audit deal with the United States and end a more than decade-old dispute, analysts and advisers said on Monday. The five SOEs including oil major Sinopec and China Life Insurance, whose audits have been under scrutiny by the U.S. securities regulator, said on Friday they would voluntarily delist from the NYSE. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had in May flagged the five and many other companies as failing to meet U.S. auditing standards, and the delisting signals China could compromise on allowing U.S. auditors to access the accounts of private Chinese companies listed in the United States, some analysts said. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Charlotte Thursday to talk about abortion rights and the Biden administrations efforts to broaden internet access. Harris tested negative for COVID-19 ahead of her visit. President Joe Biden tested positive earlier in the day, the White House announced. MORE: VP Harris visits Charlotte to tout infrastructure bill The presidents condition was at the top of many minds. This morning, he and I spoke by phone, the VP said at the Carole Hoefener Center. He is in good spirits. He is feeling well. He is doing well. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted. Harris toured a computer lab at the Carole Hoefener Center in uptown wearing a mask and took it off only for her speech. The internet investments are part of a bipartisan infrastructure law recently signed by President Joe Biden. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides eligible households with $30 per month toward internet bills, according to the White House. You can find out if you qualify at this link. RELATED: Gov. Cooper signs executive order to protect abortion providers, patients who travel from other states Harris asked attendees to spread the word about the program and help people sign up. In the 21st century, high-speed internet is not a luxury, she said. It is a necessity. After that, Harris attended a roundtable on abortion, which was led, in part, by Gov. Roy Cooper. The governors veto pen and lack of a supermajority are preventing more restrictions from being enacted in North Carolina. The VP heard from lawmakers, Planned Parenthood and Calla Hales, a Charlotte-based abortion provider. Abortion is not the right choice for everyone, but everyone deserves the right to make that choice, Hales said. North Carolina Attorney Gen. Josh Stein announced Thursday that despite the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, his office will not seek a reinstatement of the 20-year ban. (WATCH BELOW: VP Harris visits Charlotte, spells out how infrastructure law can help NC) By Kate Holton and Sachin Ravikumar LONDON (Reuters) -Britain recorded its hottest day ever on Tuesday, with the temperature exceeding 40C (104F) as a heatwave gripping Europe intensified, forcing train tracks to buckle and fuelling a spate of fires across London. The Met Office said a new provisional record temperature of 40.3C (104.5F) was recorded in Coningsby, in central England, with 34 sites across the country experiencing temperatures in excess of the previous high of 38.7C (101.7F) recorded in 2019. Stephen Belcher at the Met Office said he had not expected to see such temperatures in Britain in his career. "Research conducted here at the Met Office has demonstrated that it's virtually impossible for the UK to experience 40C in an undisrupted climate but climate change driven by greenhouse gases has made these extreme temperatures possible," he said. Train services on major routes from London up the east and west coast of the country were cancelled, electricity companies reported mass outages and normally busy city centres appeared quiet. Network Rail tweeted a number of pictures showing large bends and kinks in rail tracks. London Fire Brigade declared a major incident and urged people to stop having barbecues, as hundreds of firefighters battled blazes across the capital. To the east, a large fire engulfed homes in the village of Wennington, with flames tearing across about 40 hectares (100 acres) of neighbouring tinder-dry fields. Elsewhere large grassland areas around the capital caught fire, billowing smoke over major roads and nearby areas. London's Ambulance Service said it had been dealing with 400 calls an hour because of the extreme heat. "We are seeing an increase in the number of patients experiencing heat exposure, breathing difficulties, dizziness and fainting," said Peter Rhodes, the deputy director of ambulance operations. Britain, which can struggle to maintain key transport services in extreme heat or snow, had been put on a state of national emergency over the unprecedented temperatures. Story continues "My thanks go to all the firefighters and frontline services who are working incredibly hard to keep us safe on this scorching day," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter. 'DO NOT TRAVEL' Transport minister Grant Shapps said there had been a considerable amount of travel disruption. "Infrastructure, much of which was built from the Victorian times, just wasn't built to withstand this type of temperature," he said. Operator Network Rail advised passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary. "Extreme Heat: All services stopped. Do not come to the station," Avanti West Coast, which runs services from London to cities such as Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow, said on Twitter. Climate scientists said the once-unthinkable temperature in London was likely to become more common in coming years. Sony Kapoor, a climate and macro-economic professor at European University Institute, said he had long thought that people underestimated the physical impacts of climate change in contemporary times. "But even I never thought we would see 40 degree Celsius in London in 2022," he said. The arrival of a searing heatwave that first sparked wildfires across Europe before arriving in Britain has turned the spotlight on to "net zero" pledges made by the candidates running to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister. After Johnson championed the move to net zero status when Britain held the United Nations COP26 climate change summit in 2021, some of the candidates to replace him have appeared more lukewarm and rated other challenges facing the country as their priority. After Tuesday's heat, the Met Office said the temperature would fall on Wednesday, however it warned there could be heavy thunderstorms. (Additional reporting by Gloria Dickie; Writing by Kate Holton, William James and Michael Holden; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Catherine Evans, Raissa Kasolowsky and Jonathan Oatis) If theres a greater local oasis than Lake Michigan, I dont know of it. The lake is infinite and free; go to it when in need of respite, or visit the Cultural Center to see Jin Lee: Views & Scenes, an understated knockout of a show featuring four photographic series, all attentive and devoted considerations of Chicago and its adjacent landscapes, including the lake but also sidewalk weeds, mountains of street salt and views from commuter trains. The exhibition is both a space of meditation in and of itself, and a provider of lessons on how to move through the city open to restorative observation, especially of its overlooked aspects. Partly this is about attitude, partly location, and ultimately some combination thereof. Jin Lee, who has been taking pictures in and around Chicago since moving here in the mid-1980s to attend graduate school, was born in South Korea in 1961 and immigrated to Los Angeles with her family as a teenager. In 1996, she started teaching art at Illinois State University in Normal, eventually becoming a tenured professor, a job that has necessitated hundreds of weekly two-hour trips on the Amtrak line that runs between Chicago and Bloomington/Normal. This commute begot Train View, one of the series on display at the Cultural Center, and may it be an inspiration to commuters everywhere (or at least those not actively driving the vehicle theyre riding in). Advertisement The series is Lees largest and most diverse, not unsurprising given the miscellany of whats laid out along this particular 150-mile journey: snowy farmland, patriotic warehouse signage, tangled forest, smoky oil refineries, low-income neighborhoods, a busy village center, mute storage units, random billboards, abandoned industrial buildings, placid brown rivers and streams, half-built real estate developments, a wind-swept cemetery, graffiti and more graffiti, an old prison tower and the quarry where inmates once worked, a horizon of wind turbines, endless utility lines. These places and non-places are seen in all seasons, weather, and times of day and night, maybe more than once. Differentiating one field from another can be tricky, but thats part of the interest here. So is the very visibility of these sights, a unique consequence of train routes passing through territory that is often remote, private or otherwise inaccessible. "Jin Lee: Views & Scenes" runs through Aug. 7 at the Chicago Cultural Center. (James Prinz photo / Chicago Tribune) The degree to which any of these photos reveal that they have been shot from inside a train car varies. Some pictures have a pretty blurriness indicative of speed; others are so crisply focused, so symmetrically composed, it seems that the train must have slowed to a crawl or even stopped. (If youve ever ridden Amtrak, you know they do. How much less irksome that must be with camera in hand.) Then there are the outliers, a handful of photos of the trains interior a book of short stories held open by a hand, presumably the artists; a window made visible by drops of rain; a passenger who has fallen awkwardly asleep in the seat ahead that not only remind the viewer of the genesis of this body of work, but also suggest the possibility of other sorts of voyages: literary, aesthetic, oneiric. Advertisement When not being taken on a set route, Lee takes herself, returning continually to a spot along the shoreline of Lake Michigan somewhere on the South Side. For the series Great Water, she shoots a similar picture every time: half sky, half water, so evenly bisected that the photographs in the gallery form a continuous horizon line, broken only by frames and wall space. It is impossible to fully represent something so immense and changeable, but Lee has done the lake justice by seeing it, truly seeing it, in so many of its states of being. Here is a wintry lake filled with little ice floes, clustered together like lily pads. There, in a pair of images that must have been taken moments apart, is the way the water color changes in an instant, going from juniper to sea foam, the effect of a cloud passing by the sun. Sometimes the horizon disappears completely, other times it reveals the steel mills in Gary, Indiana, or what appears to be a range of snow-capped peaks but is really an optical illusion caused by lake-effect clouds. Mostly, though, these 19 photographs about half the series, which is ongoing are filled with water and sky, waves and clouds, in a vaster array of hues and textures than even the most seasoned lake-goer would expect. From the "Train View" series. "Jin Lee: Views & Scenes" runs through Aug. 7 at the Chicago Cultural Center. (Jin Lee / Chicago Tribune) Where else does Lee go, what else is she looking at? Call it urban nature, those places where something exists that goes beyond human design, even as it is inextricably linked to it. The results are the series Salt Mountain and Weed. These feel like a hybrid of portrait and landscape photography, so intent are they on the particularities of their subjects, imbuing them with qualities of dignity, importance, beauty, resilience, age, occasionally to the point of anthropomorphism. The mountains are those piles of road salt dumped around the city for winter ice management. In Lees pictures, which play with scale and framing, theyre sublime alpine ranges, summitting monumentally up above the tree line. The gross dirt of accumulated pollutants becomes an organic condition, the pathetic cracking and crumbling of small heaps an avalanche, the weird coloring of chemical additives a geological curiosity. Two of these massifs even evidence craggy facial forms, like the Old Man of the Mountain and other highland pareidolia. Who knew flat Chicago contained such picturesque vistas? The weeds are found where they grow, in the crook where the pavement meets peeling white-painted wall. Those who can recognize such things will be able to identify yarrow, rue, plantain, dandelion and other hardy wild plants. There are inevitably some bits of trash and decomposing foliage on the ground because no one tends to such places. And yet, there is care in the kind of close and sustained looking that Lee practices be it of sidewalk weeds, salt mountains, the lake or views from a commuter train. Its not a judgmental kind of caring, full of helpful ideas for improvement of neglected sites; its just caring, plain and simple. Caring enough to notice that something is there, caring enough to see it and to appreciate it, as it is and beyond that, too. And to do so again and again. Jin Lee: Views & Scenes runs through Aug. 7 at the Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Rooms, 2nd floor north, 78 E. Washington St.; free, more information at 312-744-5000 and chicago.gov Decommissioned US Navy frigate ex-USS Rodney M. Davis is hit during a sinking exercise as part of Rim of the Pacific on July 12, 2022. US Navy US and partner forces sank a former US frigate this month during the Rim of the Pacific exercise. A US Navy video shows the ex-USS Rodney M. Davis being hit by bombs and missiles before sinking. This is the 28th iteration of RIMPAC, the world's largest maritime military exercise. More than 25,000 personnel from 26 Pacific countries are taking part in Rim of the Pacific, the largest maritime military exercise in the world, in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands this month. During the US-led exercise, units from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, and the US sank the ex-USS Rodney M. Davis, a decommissioned guided-missile frigate, in 15,000 feet of water 50 nautical miles north of Kauai. Footage released by the US Navy shows the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate being barraged by missiles and bombs before sinking. The 453-foot-long, 4,200-ton frigate entered service in February 1985 and was decommissioned seven years ago. It was named for a Marine who received the Medal of Honor posthumously during the Vietnam War. A sinking exercise, or sinkex, is a regular feature of the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise. Participants sank a decommissioned landing ship in 2018 and a decommissioned amphibious cargo ship in 2020. The drill allows participants "to hone their skills in a live-fire setting," said Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. Christopher Robinson, deputy commander of the RIMPAC combined task force. "There is nothing that really replaces the training value of opportunities such as this, which enable us to test our weapons and their associated combat systems with as much realism as possible." Before the sinking exercise, the frigate went through a through cleaning process to remove all "environmentally harmful material." Video posted on the RIMPAC Twitter account shows anti-ship missiles launched by the Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS Winnipeg, the Royal Malaysian Navy's KD Lekir, and a US Navy Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, according to The War Zone. Story continues Lekir became the first Royal Malaysian Navy ship to fire a missile outside Malaysia's territorial waters. The chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy called it "a professionally enriching experience" for Lekir's crew. Malaysian corvette KD Lekir fires a missile during the Rim of the Pacific sinking exercise on July 12. Royal Malaysian Navy/DVIDS Begun in 1971, RIMPAC is designed to "foster and sustain cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans," according to the US Navy's 3rd Fleet. This year's RIMPAC is the 28th iteration of the exercise. Read the original article on Business Insider The White House denied on Monday that it was deploying a double standard when it comes to gasoline prices. Jared Bernstein, a senior economic adviser, was asked during the White House press conference whether it was fair for administration officials to take credit for decreasing gasoline prices after spending months blaming Russia for their rise. "I think there is no both ways thinking here at all," said Bernstein. "I very much disagree with that framing." "It's one of the fastest declines in retail gas prices in a decade," said Bernstein. PRESIDENT BIDEN SEEMS TO PRAISE HIGH GAS PRICES AS 'INCREDIBLE TRANSITION' AMERICANS MUST GO THROUGH Bernstein said the White House and President Biden were working "tirelessly" to address rising inflation, especially when it came to the gasoline market. "He put his head down and got to work, and got us to work, to do everything we could to achieve that goal," said Bernstein. The White House noted that gasoline prices had dropped nearly 50 cents per gallon over the last thirty days. Officials say the drop is the result of Biden's decision to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and engage U.S. allies to pump more oil. "It's one of the fastest declines in retail gas prices in a decade," said Bernstein. AMID HIGH GAS PRICES, PETE BUTTIGIEG SLAMMED FOR TELLING AMERICANS TO SWITCH TO ELECTRIC CARS Gas prices over $7.00 a gallon are displayed at a Chevron gas station on May 25, 2022 in Menlo Park, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Earlier this year, Biden blamed the rise in gasoline prices on Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. Administration officials have long argued that the invasion scattered global energy markets. Bidens defense, however, ignores the fact that gasoline prices were already rising more than a dollar between February 2021 and 2022. The jump was the highest 12-month spike since President Ronald Reagans first term more than 40 years ago. The United States has ample evidence that Russia plans to annex additional Ukrainian territory, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. Kirby, speaking from the White House briefing, said that Russian-installed officials in some areas of Ukraine held by Moscow plan to organize sham referendums on joining Russia that will be used as a basis to annex the Ukrainian territory. Russia is preparing to focus its efforts on Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and all of Donetsk and Luhansk, he said. Russia is laying the groundwork to annex more Ukrainian territory that it controls, in direct violation of Ukraines sovereignty, Kirby said. Kirby likened the annexation playbook to Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, which triggered a wave of international sanctions. He said the efforts also involve establishing Russian banks on the ground in Ukraine to make the Russian ruble the default currency of these regions. Kirby said the timeline of Russias annexation plans is unclear but that Moscow could put them in motion later this year, timed with regional elections. Russias war in Ukraine is about to enter its sixth month. The Biden administration has periodically declassified and released intelligence information about Russian plans in Ukraine in efforts to disrupt or deter those operations. It has withheld details on the source of the intelligence so as not to compromise sources or methods. Kirby told reporters Tuesday that the new assessment relied on both open-source information in the public domain and intelligence. Russia has already installed officials in areas of Ukraine it controls, including Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and there has long been chatter that Russia could move to annex Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraines east, where Moscows forces are currently focusing their military operations. Asked about what was new about the information he was citing on Tuesday, Kirby declined to provide specifics but insisted there would be a concerted effort by the part of Russia. Story continues The U.S. may announce more sanctions targeting Russians involved in the plots, but there were no immediate announcements on penalties. The new information came shortly after President Biden and first lady Jill Biden met with Ukraines first lady Olena Zelenska, who is on a rare trip to Washington. The U.S. has provided billions in security assistance to Ukraine to help the country fend off the persistent and bloody Russian assault. The Biden administration has also been sharing intelligence with Ukrainian officials. The administration plans to announce another tranche of military assistance for Ukraine later this week, Kirby told reporters, which will include additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and multiple-launch rocket systems. This story was updated at 5:08 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Windsor woman waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty Tuesday in Hartford to a charge stemming from her fraud against her former employer and one of its lenders, according to federal authorities. Margaret Boisture, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, a charge that carries a term of up to 30 years in prison, according to federal authorities. Federal authorities said, citing court documents and statements made in court, that Boisture functioned as the chief financial employee of ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies, a pre-revenue company in the business of developing and commercializing a new technology that improves the efficiency of the production of hydrogen. Further, between about October 2016 and February 2020, Boisture defrauded ZoneFlow, PayPal and WebBank by diverting ZoneFlow money to herself; taking unauthorized loans that caused ZoneFlow to pay additional interest expense; and making misrepresentations to PayPal and WebBank to induce them to make unauthorized loans to ZoneFlow that expanded the pool of money from which Boisture could take, federal authorities said in a statement. In total, Boistures criminal conduct caused losses of $632,159.78 to ZoneFlow and $78,066.76 to PayPal and WebBank, the statement said. Boisture is free on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not yet scheduled, according to federal authorities. Ron Kuramoto, president of the Japanese American Citizens League Wisconsin Chapter, holds up the evacuation order used for the internment of people of Japanese ancestry during World War II at the Community Teach-in outside of the Educational Services Center Building Monday in Muskego. Outside Muskego High School, where educators were stopped from teaching a book about the U.S. incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII, over 100 residents and allies gathered Monday night to demand the school board approve the book. Holding a teach-in before the Muskego-Norway School Board met Monday night, the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Coalition of Wisconsin handed out 100 copies of the novel. The book, "When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka, had been chosen by a team of school staff but needed approval from a school board committee. After a June 13 school board committee meeting, staff members were told to start their selection process over. Board members have shared little about what happened at that committee meeting, which was not recorded. But emails obtained by the Journal Sentinel show there was concern that the novel focused too much on the Japanese-American experience. The book was not on the agenda for Monday night's board meeting and the coalition's requests to speak at the meeting were rejected, coalition members said. Board members watching the event from afar, before their meeting, declined to speak with the Journal Sentinel. One member, Kevin Zimmerman, sent a statement by email after the event. He argued the book was not "rejected," but needed to be reconsidered without an objective to "pick a book from a non-white author," which he said he heard staff had been told to do. He said staff could choose to send the same book back to the school board after redoing the process. For now, the book remains out of the curriculum for the next school year. Community organizers are still hoping to change that, pushing a petition and working to educate as many people as possible about the importance of learning about the WWII incarceration, as well as broader histories of AAPI communities. The Asian American and Pacific Islander Coalition and community members gave out 100 copies of Julie Otsuka's novel "When the Emperor was Divine" at the Community Teach-in outside of the Educational Services Center Building in Muskego. Coalition distributes book in Muskego At the teach-in Monday, Muskego residents and AAPI leaders shared demands for the board: to approve the book, trust "teachers expertise," recommit to the district's social justice plan, and convene a staff working group to implement a resolution passed by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, which encouraged districts to develop curriculum around the AAPI contributions to the state and country. Story continues Ron Kuramoto, president of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, whose family was incarcerated during WWII, said the characters in Otsuka's book represent real experiences. He said his mom's family was forced to live in the horse stables at one of the sites, the Santa Anita racetrack. "My mom would always talk about how you could still smell the horse manure," he said. After the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, U.S. authorities forcibly removed nearly all of the 120,000 Japanese people in the country from their homes and incarcerated them in remote areas under harsh conditions for most of the war. Two-thirds were U.S. citizens. A congressional commission that studied the incarceration concluded it had been based on racism, pointing out that no mass detention was ordered against German and Italian Americans. President Ronald Reagan later officially apologized on behalf of the U.S. government and authorized $20,000 in reparations for each internee who was still alive. Ellie Catania, a 2021 graduate of Muskego High School, addressed the crowd and called on the board to accept the book into the curriculum. "I fear that if left unchecked, the school board will only continue to silence important stories without regard to the public," she said. "We cannot be complacent... While we are here today to discuss this one text, it so much bigger than that. It is so much more dangerous than that." Kabby Hong, 2022 Wisconsin National Teacher of the Year, speaks at the Community Teach-in after the Muskego-Norway School Board denied his request to speak at its July 18 meeting. Kabby Hong, an English teacher from the Madison area and a 2022 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, said books serve as an important window into others experiences and as a mirror for young people to see themselves reflected in. Hong said it took him decades to feel proud to be an Asian American, and that growing up, he wished he had a different first name. "I never saw myself as a hero in any book that I ever read. I never saw anyone that looked like me achieve anything in history. And when I looked at the TV shows and movies when I grew up, I saw nothing but cringe-worthy, racist stereotypes," he said. "It wasnt until I was a 40-year-old man that I realized that Asian Americans have deep roots in this country, that Asian Americans have a record achievement in every single aspect of our society." "Lets not do that to our future generations," he said. Ann Zielke, a Muskego parent who has helped raise awareness about the book, announced the formation of a community book club, with "When the Emperor Was Divine" being the first book, including a talk with the author. The AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin also called for action at the state level. In 1989, Wisconsin lawmakers passed Act 31 requiring schools to provide education regarding American Indians, Black Americans and Hispanics. The coalition is pushing for a new law that would require instruction on Asian American history, said MJ Wong Engel, a former teacher and current co-chair of education committee for the AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin. "That may have been an oversight back in 1989, but it is no longer acceptable," Engel said. The coalition itself formed in the face of a rise in anti-Asian sentiments and violence, tied to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. "As anti-Asian hate and violence rises in Wisconsin and across the United States, the Muskego-Norway School Board's arbitrary decision to go against the recommendation of their teacher-led Curriculum Planning Committee for this award-winning book is alarming," Pardeep Kaleka, Co-Chair of AAPI Coalition of Wisconsin, said in a statement. Emails illuminate tension The debate over the book comes as conservative school board candidates nationwide, including in Muskego, have run campaigns demanding more oversight of curriculum materials and opposing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Emails show the book was chosen by educators for the high school's Accelerated English curriculum after an extensive search. In the process, a team of school staff read multiple options and discussed how each would align with class goals, according to an email sent by Kristi Brooks, director of student learning at the time. Their pick was read by an instructional coach, administrator, librarian and department director, followed by a larger discussion before presenting to the school board committee in May. On May 11, board member Brett Hyde reached out to Brooks with a concern that the book was on the same subject as an excerpt used in the class from "Farewell to Manzanar." In a later interview with the Journal Sentinel, Hyde suggested adding material about the Pearl Harbor attack. "I know the 'Farewell to Manzanar' is only an excerpt, but adding a second source to a subject that has become very controversial in the past few years can be seen in a very negative light," Hyde wrote. "Are there alternatives to this that would provide the same literary comparison?" In response, Brooks explained that having two pieces of literature on the same topic was intended to allow students to read about it "through different genres and perspectives, so they can synthesize connections as well as draw contrasts." Brooks, who left the district to be assistant superintendent in Slinger in July, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. In an email June 3 to Terri Boyer, chair of the school board committee, Brooks outlined what she understood to be the "overarching concerns" with the book, from what she'd heard from a community member: "Both the Farewell to Manzanar (10 page excerpt) and When the Emperor was Divine are about the same topic (Japanese Internment), which feels like an overwhelming, singular focus." "Both texts represent individuals from the same [Japanese-American] experience/perspective." "Japanese Internment is taught in US History, so there was a question about why it needed to be explored again in English. " From left: Rabia Ahmed, a 2020 Muskego High School graduate; Raimi Liebel, a Muskego High graduate; Maya Liebel, a 2022 Muskego High graduate; Jarret Dietzler, a junior at Muskego High; and Mollie Kinter, 2020 Muskego High graduate, hold signs in support of the Community Teach-in outside of the Educational Services Center Building in Muskego. In response, Boyer did not dispute Brooks' outline of the concerns. Boyer said she was worried the book was chosen because of the identity of the author, a Japanese American. "One of the main concerns of the committee, that has been shared more than once by myself, is that part of why the book was selected was because of the race, ethnicity, gender etc. of the author." Boyer wrote, ellipses included. "The committee does not support limiting resource selection by race, gender etc." Brooks, in her email, said she saw three ways forward: they could cut the 10-page "Farewell to Manzanar" excerpt to "eliminate the extended focus on a singular topic." Or, they could eliminate the excerpt and add an article about the bombing of Pearl Harbor to "help round out the historical event." Finally, they could pull their request entirely and explore other options. In response, Boyer didn't entertain the first two options. She said Brooks could provide the third option as guidance to the board: "to pull the book and explore other options without limiting the selection pool." As community members caught wind of the debate and emailed board members urging them to support the book, board member Chris Buckmaster responded to an email with a "side note" about his concern about books being chosen based on "political correctness." "This is a challenging effort given that text book companies loath to portray any person or culture in an unfavorable light for fear it will prevent their textbooks from being adopted," Buckmaster wrote June 10. "The result is confusing books devoid of narrative, packed with disjointed information, and tremendously boring. We are vigilant in avoiding texts or curriculum that stress political correctness over analysis." The morning of the June 13 meeting, another board member, Tracy Blair, emailed Brooks with her own complaint: "I honestly read the book and really didnt enjoy reading it because of how it was written." Brooks responded, explaining the literary rationale: "The plot/storyline is pretty flat, meaning that there isn't a traditional bell curve with momentum, climaxes, and resolutions, so if someone is reading it for pleasure or out of context, it may not be a 'fun' or 'entertaining' read; however, that is not the purpose for this text - or this unit." Despite Brooks' explanations, the book didn't pass the committee June 13. Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rally backs book rejected in Muskego for focus on Japanese-Americans LRT Capital Management, an investment management firm, published its second-quarter 2022 investor letter a copy of which can be downloaded here. As of July 1st, 2022, LRTs net exposure was approximately 77.74%, and its beta-adjusted exposure was 50.7%. The fund currently has 57 long positions with the top 10 accounting for approximately 40.7% of its total long exposure. Try to spend some time taking a look at the funds top 5 holdings to be informed about their best picks for 2022. In its Q2 2022 investor letter, LRT Capital Management mentioned Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) and explained its insights for the company. Founded in 1995, Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) is a Duluth, Georgia-based car dealership company with a $3.6 billion market capitalization. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) delivered a -3.90% return since the beginning of the year, while its 12-month returns are down by -10.18%. The stock closed at $166.00 per share on July 18, 2022. Here is what LRT Capital Management has to say about Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) in its Q2 2022 investor letter: "Asbury Automotive Group is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States. It operates 90 dealerships consisting of 112 franchises and 25 collision repair centers. The company's stores offer new and used vehicles, parts, and service, as well as finance and insurance (F&I) products. Franchise agreements controlled by automotive manufactures and state laws create an environment of tightly controlled market entry and restricted competition. The dealership industry is highly fragmented with 93.5% of dealers having only between 1-5 locations according to data from 2020. In fact, dealers with over 50 locations account for only 0.1% of the industry - a testament to the huge opportunity for consolidation that lies ahead. Industry dynamics, including the rising complexity of automobiles and the need for omnichannel distribution are favoring better capitalized and larger dealer groups. We believe Asbury Automotive Group has several distinct advantages, particularly its highly profitable parts and service business, its overexposure to the luxury vehicle business, which carriers the best margins, and its Clicklane omnichannel strategy. Asbury's management has also been acting in the best interests of its shareholders by allocating capital towards acquiring dealerships to aggressively expand its business, and occasionally repurchasing stock when attractive acquisitions targets could not be found. ABG is not a fast-growing SaaS business, but when paying a valuation of of the overall stock market, one does not need to make heroic assumptions about the future to enjoy strong returns as shareholders. We believe that over the next several years, Asbury will continue to acquire dealerships, occasionally buy back stock and invest to improve its digital shopping experience. We wrote about Asbury in detail in our August 2021 Investor Letter." Story continues app, application, auto, automobile, automotive, car, computing, concept, control, dashboard, destination, digital, direction, display, driver, driving, electronics, future, futuristic, gprs, gps, guide, hand, innovation, interactive, internet, lcd, location, male, man, modern, monitor, navigate, navigating, navigation, navigator, panel, people, pointing, road, route, satellite, screen, search, smart, system, technology, touchscreen, transport, vehicle Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo Our calculations show that Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) fell short and didnt make it on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) was in 29 hedge fund portfolios at the end of the second quarter of 2022, compared to 32 funds in the previous quarter. Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) delivered a 7.17% return in the past 3 months. In May 2022, we also shared another hedge funds views on Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE:ABG) in another article. You can find other investor letters from hedge funds and prominent investors on our hedge fund investor letters 2022 Q2 page. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. (Bloomberg) -- China flatly denied a report that President Xi Jinping had invited top European leaders to meet him in Beijing later this year, and was still awaiting their response, as tensions fray between Beijing and the bloc. Most Read from Bloomberg I dont know whats their source of information, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Tuesday, referencing the South China Morning Post report. I can tell you that is fake news, he added, at a regular press briefing in Beijing. The newspaper reported Monday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had been asked to meet the Chinese president in Beijing this November, citing a person familiar with the matter. The leaders hadnt yet replied to Xi, according to the SCMP, which didnt clarify when the invite had been extended. The governments of France, Italy and Spain didnt respond to the newspapers questions on the matter, and the German government refused to answer. The Beijing meeting, if confirmed, would coincide with the Group of Twenty summit set to be held in Bali from Nov. 15-16. It would also likely follow a major Communist Party congress in China, scheduled for the second half of this year, where Xi is poised to secure a landmark third term in office. Hosting the European leaders would mark a return to in-person diplomacy with the West for Xi, who hasnt left his country since the outset of the pandemic in January 2020 due to the nations zero-tolerance virus strategy. Instead, he has participated in overseas summits via video link. Foreign dignitaries visiting China during the pandemic have typically been hosted in cities such as Tianjin, outside the capital, with an exception made for the Beijing Olympics, which most Western democracies shunned. Xi declared a no limits friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin at that time, weeks before Moscow invaded Ukraine. Story continues News of the invitations comes as the European Union and China prepare to hold a high-level dialog on economy and trade Tuesday, according to an earlier statement from the European Commission. Ahead of the talks, Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked with Emmanuel Bonne, the diplomatic adviser to Macron, according to a Xinhua statement. Separately, European Parliament Vice President Nicola Beer landed in Taiwan on Tuesday, according to a statement from Taiwans Foreign Ministry, in the first official visit by a high-ranking member of the blocs legislative body. The visit is bound to anger Beijing, which objects to official contact between its diplomatic partners and Taiwans government. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory, even though the Communist Party-led government has never controlled the island. China once saw Europe as an important counter to US power, but relations soured after the EU sanctioned Chinese officials over accusations of human rights abuse in Xinjiang. Beijing responded by placing sanctions on European lawmakers, academics and others, leading the bloc to freeze a long-awaited investment deal. Since then, China has blocked trade with EU member Lithuania in a clash over Taiwan and refused to condemn Russias war. That gulf in understanding on major geopolitical issues led to an April video summit between Xi and EU leaders being described as a dialog of the deaf by the blocs chief diplomat, who blasted China for refusing to discuss Russias war in Ukraine, human rights, or other issues in the relationship. At that time, China pushed for an economic dialog to be restarted and for the two sides to continue their cooperation on combating climate change, Nicolas Chapuis, the EUs ambassador in China, said last month. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. A Nelson County judge sentenced an Amherst man on July 18 to two years behind bars for misdemeanor charges related to a July 2020 vehicle crash that injured his son. James Daniel Murphy, 53, initially was found guilty of two felony offenses, driving with a revoked license and driving after being declared a habitual offender, during an April bench trial in Nelson Circuit Court. Judge Michael Doucette found Murphy not guilty of one felony count each of driving with a license revoked, maiming another while driving under the influence, driving after being declared a habitual offender and child abuse, disregard for life. Witness testimony at the April trial revealed details about the July 8, 2020 incident. That evening Murphy was driving a truck towing a travel trailer north along Virginia 151 with his son in the passenger seat. Both were not wearing seatbelts. When Murphy crossed from Amherst County into Nelson, a friend following the vehicle saw Murphy swerve left in the truck and saw the attached trailer fishtail to the left, pulling both truck and trailer into the left-hand ditch. Murphys son was taken to University of Virginia Medical Center with injuries that Commonwealths Attorney Daniel Rutherford described as grave. Murphy admitted to the state trooper who responded to the scene that hed had a few beers while he was pressure-washing the trailer earlier in the day and the trooper testified he found multiple cold cans of beer scattered near the site and an open bottle of whiskey in the wreckage of the truck. Responders were unable to administer a blood test at the crash site because of Murphys injuries. Instead a blood test was administered at the hospital about three hours after the crash, and Murphys blood alcohol level at that time was revealed to be between .07 and .08. The legal driving limit is .08. During the April trial, defense attorney Tom Phillips said his client could not be convicted for driving with a BAC of .08 without a forensic test. On April 15, Doucette dismissed four of Murphys felony charges, saying while he strongly suspected Murphy was driving under the influence of alcohol, the evidence failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Murphys behavior was so culpable as to constitute reckless endangerment of life. On July 18, Doucette granted the defenses motion to reduce Murphys two felony charges to misdemeanors in order to remain consistent with his previous ruling in the case. A juvenile suspect is charged with attempted homicide and other offenses following a July 14 shooting in Shipman, authorities said. The Nelson County Sheriffs Office said it received a call at around 4 p.m. Thursday about shots fired in the 11000 block of Virginia 56, about three miles from its intersection with U.S. 29. The sheriffs office said the suspect, whose name was not released, also is charged with attempted homicide, attempted armed robbery, shooting or throwing missiles at a car, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and threats of death or bodily injury to a person. A Facebook post from the sheriff's office did not specify whether anyone was injured during the incident. - Emma Martin The Art Institute lions sit on a vehicle before being reinstalled near the front steps of the museums Michigan Avenue entrance on July 19, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) The Chicago Art Institutes famous Michigan Avenue lions went back on guard outside the museum Tuesday, having returned from a month of conservation work. Sporting a fresh coat of wax, the lions were reinstalled on their plinths flanking the main entrance, lifted by a crane from a flatbed truck. They had received a deep cleaning and coating of the protective wax at Conservation of Sculpture & Objects Studio, Inc., an art restoration service in west suburban Forest Park. Advertisement The lions were removed for their spa treatment on June 14, having been outside for 128 years, Art Institute objects conservator Rachel Sabino told the Tribune at the time. It was their first deep cleaning in decades, Sabino said. They were also checked for corrosion. The bronze statues were sculpted by artist Edward Kemeys for the museum in 1893, in time for the first Chicago Worlds Fair, and commissioned by Florence Lathrop Field, wife of Henry Field. According to a 2018 account from the Art Institute, the lions were installed the following year: The lion on the north pedestal is on the prowl. The other, in an attitude of defiance on the south pedestal was, according to the artist, the most difficult I have ever attempted. Advertisement They have since become Chicago icons, predating and the equals to Buckingham Fountain (1927), the Wrigley Building (finished in 1924), the Picasso (1967) and of course Cloud Gate (2006). dgeorge@chicagotribune.com Two juveniles have been taken into custody after separate, recent shooting incidents in Nelson County, authorities said. On July 14, the Nelson County Sheriffs Office said it received a call at about 4 p.m. about shots fired in the 11000 block of Virginia 56, about three miles from its intersection with U.S. 29. The sheriffs office said the suspect in that case is charged with attempted homicide, attempted armed robbery, shooting or throwing missiles at a car, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and threats of death or bodily injury to a person. The suspect is being held at the juvenile detention center. A Facebook post from the sheriff's office did not specify whether anyone was injured during the incident. The second incident happened Tuesday, when the sheriffs office received a complaint of shots fired and disorder from the 2100 block of Grape Lawn Drive in Lovingston, about two miles from where the road intersects with U.S. 29. The juvenile suspect arrested in that case is being held at the Lynchburg Detention Center and is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, shooting at or throwing missiles at a car, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, malicious wounding, felonious property damage and reckless handling of a firearm. Deputies found evidence of a physical confrontation and shots fired into a vehicle at the site. One man and one juvenile were injured during the physical confrontation and the man was transported for further medical treatment, according to the sheriffs office. Neither suspect's name was released. The sheriff's office described both events as isolated incidents with no known threats to the community. Having witnessed how much the world seemed to change after the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion nationwide, it has been stunning although not too surprising to see how much the world has tried to change back. Written by Justice Samuel Alito, the conservative 6-3 majority opinion maintained that the right to an abortion was a part of the right to privacy neither of which is explicitly included in the Constitution, although the right is inferred by the landmark 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut, in which Roe v. Wade is largely grounded. You thought you had a right to privacy? Guess again. Kicking the legs out from under the right to privacy has big and ominous implications, particularly at a time when police and other crime fighters turn increasingly to internet search engines like Google for help. For example, in the new post-Roe world, privacy advocates reasonably ask, is Google doing enough to safeguard your data from falling into the wrong hands or popping up on the wrong screens? In response to complaints, Google announced on July 1 that it will delete abortion clinic visits, as well as trips to fertility clinics, domestic violence shelters and addiction treatment facilities among other sensitive locations. Shades of Big Brother. Im not talking about the network TV reality show. Im talking about the ominous and omnipresent overlord in George Orwells 1949 novel 1984, symbol of a totalitarian state in which every citizen is under constant surveillance and propaganda by ever-present telescreens. Were not there yet but the growing number of requests from law enforcement agencies turning to Google for access to information on users raises big questions as to what may happen in states where abortion, or helping someone to obtain one, is once again a serious crime. In the first half of last year, Google received more than 50,000 subpoenas, search warrants and other legal requests for data Google retains, according to the companys transparency report. Outside conventional law enforcement, some states are considering the bounty-hunter approach embedded in Texas notorious anti-abortion law Senate Bill 8, which offers cash rewards to would-be plaintiffs for successfully finding and suing anyone who aids a womans access to abortion even, as it often has been said, her Uber driver. All of which reminds me of the bad old days before Roe v. Wade, when women seldom had the right to choose abortion unless they had a lot of money and other resources. Those days came back to me as I watched The Janes, a new documentary streaming on HBO and HBO Max about Chicagos old Jane Collective, or Jane for short. Volunteers, mostly women, ran the underground service from 1969 to 1973 to help pregnant women in need to obtain abortions, which still were illegal in Illinois, as in most states. They didnt have Google location services to worry about back then, although they constantly had to dodge police even as they advertised their services through word-of-mouth and ads in the underground Chicago Seed saying simply, Pregnant? Dont want to be? Call Jane, a name chosen for its easy-to-remember simplicity. Ironically, as Jane founder Heather Booth says in the documentary, We always thought the police knew about it. She relates a story about one woman who was married to a police officer and brought their pregnant daughter to Jane. Although I didnt ask, I had every reason to believe that it was the policeman who directed his wife about where to go, Booth says. So we think that it actually was a service that was useful in the society. Abortion had not been politicized yet, she said, referring to how ferociously the issue has become a battle cry for the political right. Jane ended after one of their apartments was raided by Chicago police in 1972 and seven of its members were arrested and charged with enough abortion counts to send them to prison for as much as 110 years. Fortunately, the Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade decision was handed down in 1973 and the charges against the Jane women were dropped. Will those days return? In some ways, they already have as various anti-abortion politicians and activists push for even tougher laws and regulations, including efforts to seek and prosecute abortion providers as we might chase domestic terrorists. Sanity must prevail if justice is to survive. We urgently want law enforcement to hunt down mass shooters, domestic terrorists and other heinous criminals. But we still need to protect everyones reasonable right to privacy, including, I hope, the right of women to have power over their own bodies. Monolith, the Lincoln-based clean energy company, announced this week that it received what is likely the largest single investment in Nebraska history. The company, which has a plant near Hallam that produces carbon black, a powdery substance that's used in tires, inks, plastics and other products, said it recently received more than $300 million from a host of big-name investors. The round of investment was led by TPG Rise Climate, the dedicated climate investing strategy of TPGs global impact investing platform TPG Rise, and Decarbonization Partners, a partnership between BlackRock and Temasek. Additional investment was also received from NextEra Energy Resources, SK, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America and Azimuth Capital Management. Some of the same companies participated in a $120 million investment round for Monolith last year. That $120 million investment had tied a 2020 Hudl investment as the previous largest in state history. Global decarbonization by 2050 will require bold steps and transformational partnerships, which we believe weve found in working with TPG Rise Climate and Decarbonization Partners, Rob Hanson, co-founder and CEO of Monolith, said in a news release. Were eager to continue Monoliths growth trajectory to support a high energy, low emissions future. The company is in the process of building a second carbon black plant that will increase its production capacity to nearly 200,000 tons of carbon black per year, as well as an anhydrous ammonia plant that will use the hydrogen produced in the carbon black manufacturing process and combine it with nitrogen to produce the liquid fertilizer that farmers use. That plant will have a capacity of about 275,000 metric tons annually. In December, Monolith announced that it had received conditional approval for a $1.04 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energys Title XVII Innovative Energy Loan Guarantee Program. It is expected to start construction on the plant either later this year or early next year, with a planned completion date of 2026. Producing sustainable hydrogen and carbon black is crucial to decarbonizing the energy and materials industry," Dr. Meghan Sharp, global head of Decarbonization Partners, said in the release. We are pleased to support Monoliths growth and continued expansion. Monolith has now raised more equity investment than any startup company in the history of both Lincoln and Nebraska. Ben Williamson, principal and general counsel of Invest Nebraska, said Monolith is attracting a lot of investment because it has a lot going for it that is attractive to investors. "Climate/decarbonization tech is very sexy right now," Williamson said, especially for large private equity and publicly traded firms, and it has become an even more attractive industry because of the war in Ukraine, he said. In addition, Monolith's $1.04 billion loan from the federal government also makes it attractive because it means investors know the money they give the company can be used for expansion rather than on capital projects. In its news release, Monolith said the new investment will go toward "further technological development that will offer next-generation product capabilities and other corporate-level expansion." The company also said the capital infusion will enable it to continue development of "a deep backlog of clean hydrogen, ammonia and carbon projects with industry-leading partners." DES MOINES Dr. Robert Kruse, a director from the MercyOne system in Des Moines, is Iowas new state medical director, the state announced Monday. The announcement came from the newly formed Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which combines the previous state public health and human services departments into one agency. Kruse replaces Dr. Caitlin Pedati, who was the previous state medical director and state epidemiologist. Pedati, who was one of the key figures in the states response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, left her state position this past fall. In December, she became public health director for the city of Virginia Beach, Va. Kruse has been working as MercyOnes medical director of occupational health, according to a news release from the state. Kelly Garcia, who was director of the old Human Services Department and interim director of the old Department of Public Health, now serves as director of the newly combined Health and Human Services Department. Dr. Kruses background in biomedical engineering, public health, family medicine and occupational health give him a broad perspective to approach complex medical and public health problems, Garcia said in a statement. Before working at MercyOne, Kruse was an assistant professor in the Rutgers University medical school. He has a bachelors of science degree from the University of Iowa and medical degrees from St. Georges University in the West Indies. I look forward to embracing this new role to collaborate with our partners and stakeholders to work together to promote and improve the health of all Iowans, Kruse said in a statement. Kruse will be paid $235,019 annually, a department spokeswoman said. The new Health and Human Services department also announced that Sarah Reisetter will remain on staff and serve as deputy director and chief of the departments newly created compliance division. Reisetter previously served as deputy director of the former state Public Health Department, and also was a key figure in the early days of the states pandemic response. Reisetter, according to the news release, also led the realignment of the two former state agencies into one. (Reisetter) is a deeply committed public servant with unmatched leadership skills in performance management, quality improvement and public health modernization, Garcia said. As we build this new agency, these roles will be critical and I cant imagine two more well-suited candidates. When asked what issue hes most passionate about, libertarian candidate for governor Rick Stewart didnt hesitate before naming the war on drugs as his personal white whale. The drug war is the worst idea America ever had, Stewart said in an interview. Maybe the Civil War. If theres a debate, those are the only two possibilities. If elected, Stewart would end Iowas drug war, calling it ineffective and unpersuasive. The drug war killed 107,000 Americans last year, Stewart said. And thats just ridiculous. Those deaths would have never been there except for the drug war. The drug war created the problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021, an increase of almost 15% from 2020. The state of Iowa saw overdose deaths rise more than 12% over the same period. Stewart would like to see all drugs decriminalized, and non-violent drug offenders released from prison. He would rather see increased public education on the effects of drugs on the body, to teach people how to use drugs safely, than see people sent to prison. Stewart pointed to a case in Le Mars, Iowa, in which a Plymouth County sheriffs deputy became addicted to hydrocodone after surgery. After exhausting his prescription, the deputy began to steal the drugs from the sheriffs office, pharmacies and private homes. The deputy was a first-time offender, non-violent, with a wife and four children at home. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He didnt do anything except accidentally get addicted to opioids, Stewart said. He was a perfectly fine guy. Nobody knew this guy was addicted to opioids, except he couldnt get them. Stewart contends that if the deputy simply had the option to purchase more pills from the pharmacy, and knew how to take them safely, he wouldnt have felt like he needed to steal. There are few, if any, facets of life that Stewarts libertarian ideals dont come into contact with, including issues like gun rights and abortion. I believe life begins at conception, and I believe life should be honored. I think it should be protected. I think it should be loved. I think that we should do our best to preserve it until the day when we all pass peacefully away in our beds of old age, Stewart said. For that reason, I believe that politicians should have absolutely nothing to do with the issue of abortion, because politicians are not interested in facing reality. Theyre interested in winning votes and winning elections, and they can win elections by saying that the other side is evil. They can win elections by lying. They can win elections by scaring people. Im not interested in any of that. While Stewart believes that life begins at conception, he does not say that abortion is a sin, or that abortion is murder, because he doesnt know. I will never know, because thats unknowable, he said. Number one, Im a man. Number two, its a very complex question, and Ive read what the theologians have talked about it and all I can say is, well, if all the people who thought about this tremendously for centuries, millennia, dont agree, the chances that Im smarter than them are very small. Stewart believes that the issue of abortion is more of a philosophical matter than a legal one, and any decisions should be between the person who is pregnant, their partner, and their personal philosophers, your priest, your rabbi, your minister. Its a decision for those people, and if they make the wrong decision in Gods eyes, I trust God to take care of that problem when their time arrives. Eminent domain is another issue that Stewart has strong opinions about, especially in regards to the proposed carbon dioxide pipeline that would cross the state, cutting into peoples land. The Iowa constitution gives the state the power to seize land by eminent domain for public use, Stewart said. He doesnt see the pipeline as benefitting Iowans so much as benefitting the private companies that want to build it. There are cases that can be made that (eminent domain) is for the benefit of the public, but when its a private company thats just going to make money, thats not for the benefit of the public, Stewart said. If its such a benefit, lets buy the company. Well put the pipelines in, or make it a public utility so they cant make very much money. 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. As Murray Bauman on Stranger Things, Brett Gelman said he channeled a number of Chicago performers into the character, from John Belushi to Harold Ramis to Bill Murray. All those guys are very influential on the Murray performance because all those guys were omnipresent forces in 80s comedy which makes sense for a show set in the 80s. Im just grateful for the whole arc that (show creators Matt and Ross Duffer) gave me this season, said Gelman. They made Murray very much a hero. I was talking to Matt the other day and he was like, People are liking Action Murray! I get to fire a flamethrower! You start a career and you find a niche and then the artistic process is like, what more can I do? And being able to do martial arts and action sequences, it made me really hunger to do more of it. Advertisement Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman in Season 4 of "Stranger Things." (Tina Rowden/Netflix) A Highland Park native, Gelmans credits include roles on everything from Fleabag to American Dad. Up next, hell star in his own comedy series for Showtime called Entitled, about an American widower who travels to a crumbling gothic mansion in the English countryside to meet his wifes estranged family. When asked about a cringey moment from his career, Gelman told a story about the time he appeared on HBOs Curb Your Enthusiasm ironically, a show premised on cringe comedy. Advertisement My worst moment I was offered the role. I dont know how, I didnt audition. This was in 2011. But one of the benefits of auditioning for the show is that you meet Larry David (the shows creator and star) before you work with him. I didnt get to do that, obviously. Larry is a huge hero to me. One of the biggest influences on me. Possibly the greatest comedic genius in television with Curb and Seinfeld (which he also cocreated). So it was a big deal and a dream come true to just even get to be in a scene on the show. My characters name was Pig Parker. And the whole basis of the scene is that when I park my car, Im over the line and Larry gets really mad and calls me out: Hey, you parked over the line! Now every other car is going to park over the line! And Im supposed to be like, It doesnt matter, why dont you mind your own business? and we get into a huge argument. So thats the scene. Thats all I knew, there was no script. If youre a fan of the show, you know that the craft of it is just being in that universe its just a version of yourself getting angry and annoyed at Larry. And I knew how to do this. As an improv comedian, you are very trained in the art of an argument. There are a lot of arguments that are happening when youre in improv comedy (laughs), not just on stage but at the bar afterward. But I was also very nervous because Im about to do the creme de la creme of this, the most holy version of the form, and meet my hero. From left: Brett Gelman and Phoebe Waller-Bridge in "Fleabag." (BBC Three) So Im waiting in my trailer for a while, and then finally somebody comes and says, Alright, lets go, lets go, lets go. And they rushed me to set. Theres all the hubbub going on. And Larry and Jeff Garlin are sitting at a table. Im led up to the table and Jeff sees me first. I knew Jeff from comedy, so he was like, Aw, Brett! Larry, I want you to meet one of the funniest guys coming up right now, this is Brett Gelman! And Larrys texting on his phone and he looks up at me and goes: Hey, and then goes back to looking at his phone. I did not get upset or offended. I loved it, actually. I was like: Thats so him. And also I get it. You dont necessarily have the energy for every day player that comes in. So they put me into this giant Mercedes truck, and the front of the car is so large, I couldnt see the lines for the parking spaces. I was really nervous. We start rehearsal. I drive into the space and I get out of the car. And then Larry starts walking toward me and hes shaking his head, and I think hes starting the scene. And he goes (imitating Larry Davids voice and intonation): No, no, no. You see, you did it wrong. You parked perfectly in the space. And I looked down, and sure enough, it was one of the most perfect parking jobs I had ever done (laughs). And hes like, You see, the whole concept of the bit is that you park outside of the space, and thats what makes me mad at you. And Im like, I know, I know. I understand the bit. I promise, Mr. David, Im not stupid. I just couldnt see over the hood. I promise Ill get it right the next time. And hes like, OK, and he walks away. Advertisement And I proceed to have a full-on panic attack. Its not like I could filter this nervousness into the lines and have the lines as my safety net. I had to improvise in the middle of this panic attack. I was spiraling. Between rehearsal and the first take it was about 20 minutes and I was just freaking out in the car with this stream of consciousness: Oh my god, Ive ruined it. Im going to regret this moment for the rest of my life. Im going to tank my dream. This is so awful. I dont know how Im going to get over this. And my agents going to drop me. You know what Im going to do? When I wrap today, Im going to immediately call my agent and when they ask how it went Im going to say, Terrible. Larry David was such a (jerk), it completely ruined the scene and its probably not going to be used in the show and if it is and its bad, thats the reason why, because he was such a jerk. So Im thinking of all these ways to throw Larry David under the bus (laughs). Brett Gelman attends Netflix's "Stranger Things" Season 4 New York premiere in May. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images North America/TNS) And then the other part of my brain took over. And it was just like: No, no. No. You cannot let this happen. This has to go well. It has to go amazingly well. You are going to regret it you dont get it together and step it up. So I pumped myself up for the first take. I parked the car outside the lines this time. I get out of the car. Larry starts walking to me. We start the scene. And the thing about Larry, if you do something funny, he will laugh in the middle of the scene. And as awkward as he made me feel earlier, getting that laugh from him? It was like getting a laugh from God. It just filled me immediately with confidence. And then I was able to have fun and I had a blast with him. Advertisement Theres a magic when you improvise with him. His comedic genius hugs you and wraps you and leads you to the right thing to do, you know? All you gotta do is follow Larrys lead and youre gonna be OK. Its like, youre the surfer, hes the wave, and if you trust the wave and let the wave take you, youll go to glory. So the first take goes great. And Im like, oh thank god. Second take goes even better. And at the end of the take, Larry starts laughing with me about the scene. Were sharing a laugh! And Im like, oh my god, Im sharing a laugh with Larry David right now! We were analyzing a little bit why it was so funny and laughing at how horrible we were being. And I looked at him and said, This is so wild, were literally arguing about nothing. And just as Im saying the word nothing, it was like being in a car accident: I have just quoted the most famous quote about Seinfeld in the most cliched way possible, to the person who is the least sufferer of fools and (butt) kissing and stupidity! I couldnt believe I said that. And he stops laughing and he looks at me. And he goes, Yeah. Well. Thats pretty much the basis of my whole career. We do a couple more takes and then we wrap. And I start walking away and I hear, Hold on, hold on, hold on. And I turn around and its Larry. And he goes, Youre really good! And I start shaking. Hes like, Yeah, youre really funny. What are you, a stand-up? And I said, No, I came up at UCB doing sketch and improv, but I did a lot of the alt rooms. And hes like, Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know those rooms. I could have used some of those rooms when I was coming up. Advertisement And Im so nervous talking to him now. I felt like a child. So I said, Oh, yeah? Do you still get up on stage anymore? And he looks at me and goes: Nuh. (Laughs) And Im like, No, no, of course not. You know, Ive been doing a bit lately where Ive been accusing other comedians of stealing my cadence and he goes, Thats great, Ill see ya later, and he just walked away (laughs). And I was like, well, that was that. It was so amazing. I literally had a Curb Your Enthusiasm experience off camera with him as well as on camera and I would not have it any other way. As much as I felt like such a schmuck, of course I remember it as a positive memory. But at the time I felt like a total moron. What a roller coaster of emotions, from insecurity to an ego boost to insecurity again. Harry Dean Stanton once said this, he was attributing it to someone else, when he was asked, What is your greatest performance ever? he said, The ride home from set. Because youre just second-guessing everything you did. From left: Winona Ryder and Brett Gelman in a scene from "Stranger Things." (Netflix/Netflix/TNS) Theres a part of acting, at least for me, where when youre done youre like, I dont totally know what just happened and if I start to analyze it too much, thats going to be bad because I am an artist and I have darkness. A major part of that darkness (laughs) is low self-esteem that can lead to self-sabotage. Advertisement So yeah, after that, I was spinning. And there was part of me that was like, what if it was bad? And I so worried about that last interaction I had with him. I was so pissed at myself because I could have ended it on a high note and just been cool and not started talking to him about my stupid cadence bit that he obviously had no interest in whatsoever (laughs). I mean, he was doing me the biggest favor to talk to me which I dont think is something he really likes to do and I took that opportunity and just made a (fool) of myself. Maybe thats how he exits pretty much any conversation, though. Yeah, exactly. My way is to always be a little not chill, so that was going to bump up against somebody who really cant handle that particular energy. Were both a lot, but in different ways. Ive known people who have reached out their hand and hes not a toucher so he backs away. I dont think hes really a fan of interacting with human beings, which I can relate to at times too. The takeaway Advertisement I love Larry David even more. And my mantra, which I hope to learn more and more throughout my life: Say less (laughs). "Say less." Words to live by, from Brett Gelman. (Netflix) Nina Metz is a Tribune critic nmetz@chicagotribune.com What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. Sign up for our Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here. The Speaker of the upper house of the Moroccan parliament, Naama Mayara, stressed from Nouakchott that the promotion of trade is a real avenue for strengthening distinguished relations between Morocco and Mauritania and suggested he setting up of a parliamentary economic forum. The proposal was made during a meeting Sunday with parliamentary groups at the Mauritanian National Assembly. The participating Mauritanian deputies welcomed the proposal and called for speeding up the establishment of the parliamentary economic forum. During the meeting, Mayara specified that parliamentary cooperation between the two countries legislative institutions should not be limited to the exchange of expertise and experience and the coordination of positions at the level of regional and international fora, but it must cover well-targeted economic and social programs in both countries. He explained that the objective is to achieve a genuine economic integration between the two countries. The establishment of a Moroccan-Mauritanian Parliamentary Economic Forum would be a real opportunity to highlight the potential of the Kingdom and Mauritania to attract more capital and expertise and, therefore, promote the Moroccan and Mauritanian economies with the objective of facing future challenges, he said. He noted that among the challenges that require more cohesion and the establishment of a strong economy, is the problem of food security, which threatens the Sahel and Sahara region, caused by the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, as well as the difficulties related to health security and the growing phenomenon of illegal immigration. Naama Mayara was on an official working visit to Mauritania at the head of a large parliamentary delegation at the invitation of Speaker of the Mauritanian National Assembly, Cheikh Ould Bayeh. The objective of this visit is to consolidate institutional and parliamentary cooperation between the Chamber of Councilors and the Mauritanian National Assembly, to exchange views and strengthen coordination between the two parties, as well as to examine means of deepening bilateral relations capable of taking up the various challenges which are essential on the regional and international scene and which relate in particular to security, stability and sustainable development. U.S. Collins Aerospace firm, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies Corp., will enhance its presence in Morocco by setting up a regional supply platform in the North African Kingdom wherein the aeronautic industry is thriving. The announcement was made Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow 2022, one of the worlds biggest aerospace events, taking place on 18-22 July in Hampshire, United Kingdom. An agreement on supply hub project to be installed in Morocco was inked by Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour and Vice Pdt. of the American company Kristopher Pinnow. The Collins ecosystem to be deployed in Morocco will include a network of suppliers of aircraft manufacturers. The project is expected to create 800 jobs and generate $1 billion turnover by 2032. The new industrial platform is the culmination of a successful strategic partnership, said the Moroccan minister, noting that the project reflects Moroccos ability to adapt to the global crisis and confirms its attractiveness and international competitiveness, focusing on value chains and new high-tech trade. Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. It is present in Morocco since 2012. Its Casablanca facility conducts final assembly and testing for commercial aircraft cockpit and cabin equipment, including sidesticks, throttles and rudder controls. In 2019, the U.S. company expanded the size of its Casablanca plant by 40 percent to support the production of rudder controls for the A320neo family as well as the future assembly of Horizontal Stabilizer Trim Actuators for the 777Xtwo new programs Collins Aerospace was selected for in recent years. As Collins Aerospaces sole facility in Northern Africa, the Casablanca site is critical to the companys strategy to grow its footprint in the Middle East and Africa. A Tunisian soldier was killed Monday by smugglers during an altercation near the border with Libya, the Defense ministry has announced, according to media reports. The smugglers and border patrol forces were involved in a shootout at Borj El Khadra, near the border. The soldier died of wounds he sustained during the fight. The smugglers who were coming from Libya and were heading to Algeria managed to flee and return to Libya, the ministry said. Tunisia has in recent years beefed security at its border with Libya used by criminal groups and terror groups. Israels army chief Aviv Kohavi, who arrived Monday in Rabat on a three-day working visit, was received Tuesday at the HQ of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) by Lt. General Belkhir El Farouk, Inspector General of the FAR, announced Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on twitter. During his visit, the Israeli Chief of the General Staff is expected to meet with senior Moroccan defense officials and discuss military & security cooperation between the two countries following the normalization of ties between Rabat and Tel-Aviv within the frame of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. A statement released by the Israeli army says the the aim of the visit is to learn from each other and share knowledge, and is part of the IDFs overall efforts to broaden military cooperation with other countries. In March, senior Israeli military officials visited the North African Kingdom and signed an accord on military cooperation as Moroccan-Israeli economic, commercial and cultural relations are gaining momentum. Last November, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited Morocco. The visit was crowned with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the exchange of experience & expertise, technology transfer, training and cooperation in the fields of defense industry, cyber-security and intelligence. During the past few months, several international press reports have announced a series of deals passed by Morocco for the acquisition of advanced Israeli drones, air defense system (Iron Dome) and missiles. These Israeli weapons, combined with others purchased from the United States, France, Spain, Turkey, give the North African Kingdom a decisive edge in any future conflict against its regional enemies. IMPERIAL Sixty-one prospective jurors packed the Chase County district courtroom Monday as jury selection began for the Kevin S. German murder trial. The remainder of the 125 initial juror candidates will do the same Tuesday morning. Opening arguments will start either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. German, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is one of two individuals accused of killing Annika Swanson in November 2019. More than 30 people were struck from the juror pool with cause Monday after being questioned by either defense attorney Clarence Mock III or Douglas Warner, a deputy attorney with the state attorney generals office, who is a special prosecutor in the case. The trial began after Judge Patrick Heng denied a motion late last week to move the trial. The defense team had contended that German could not receive a fair and impartial trial in Chase County. German is charged with first-degree murder and felony kidnapping in the abduction and death of Swanson, 22. He also is charged with a second count of felony kidnapping for allegedly holding another woman captive for three days in a home near Enders. He pleaded not guilty Jan. 28, 2021. If convicted, German faces life imprisonment on the murder charge. Keonna N. Carter, 24, of Taylorsville, Utah, is the co-defendant in the German case and is included on the witness list for his trial on behalf of the state. She is charged with first-degree murder and one count of felony kidnapping. Carter, who pleaded not guilty as well, is one of more than 20 witnesses subpoenaed to testify in the case, according to court records. The list also includes Russell Mann of Enders. Prosecutors in February 2020 dropped two charges against him of being an accessory to a felony in the case. 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. UPDATED, Aug. 6, 2022, 10:25 am: Updated to reflect third-place ranking of 1934 in North Platte's annual number of 100-degree-plus days. *** Its not yet turning out to be a Top 10 driest year in North Platte, but its already a Top 10 hottest summer by at least one measure. The city recorded its 12th triple-digit degree day of 2022 Monday, with the temperature reaching 104 about 5 p.m. to break the all-time July 18 high of 103 in 1936. This summer in North Platte now shares the No. 8 position with 1952 for total days with highs of 100 of more. Day No. 11, a 101-degree reading Sunday, had tied 2022 for 10th with both 2000 and 2002. Two more triple-digit days would tie this year for fourth overall at 14. But North Platte would have to more than double its total 100-degree-plus tally to approach 1936s all-time record of 29 or the runner-up total of 24 from 2012. Third place belongs to 1934, which had 22 days over 100 degrees. Thursday, Friday and Saturday appear most likely this week to add to 2022s total, according to the latest seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service office at Lee Bird Field. Tuesday and Wednesday both will see highs in the upper 90s, with a red flag warning in effect for all Lincoln County except the southeast. But no triple-digit temperatures were in the picture for either day as of Monday afternoon. Sunday and Monday highs should be slightly cooler, topping out in the mid-90s both days. Overnight lows will be in the mid-60s through Monday night. Despite traces of precipitation both Friday and Saturday, North Platte has gone a week without measurable rainfall. Year-to-date moisture remained at 8.19 inches through Sunday. Slight chances of rain were in the citys forecast Monday night and will return nightly from Thursday through Sunday, the weather service said. As was the case last week, Nebraskas latest U.S. Drought Monitor map showed a slight reduction in the states overall dryness but growth in its most seriously moisture-short areas. Just over 87% of the state was abnormally dry or worse as of July 12, down from 87.4% the previous week. The University of Nebraska-Lincolns U.S. Drought Mitigation Service releases updated maps each Thursday. Areas in extreme drought or exceptional drought covered nearly 9.6% of Nebraska, up from almost 8.8% as of July 5. None of the state was in the worst exceptional drought category. Southwest Nebraska and the extreme southern Panhandle continued to make up the largest area in extreme drought. Other areas are in extreme northeast Nebraska and in eastern Holt and southeast Boyd counties. Lincoln Countys drought map remained static last week, with severe drought covering the entire county except for northwest and north central portions in the moderate drought category. Seohan Auto USA is planning a $13.5 million expansion to its facility in Auburn Technology Park West. Along with the expansion, the company plans to hire an additional 12 employees over the next three years. Seohan is a Tier 1 automotive parts supplier, meaning that it provides parts directly to automobile manufacturing companies. It makes front and rear axle assembly drive shafts for Kia and Hundai. This new expansion will allow Seohan to begin manufacturing parts for hybrid and electric vehicles. Its an exciting time to be in the automotive manufacturing business, said Myon Han, president of Seohan Auto USA, in a press release provided by the City of Auburn. As our Korean clients increase their production of hybrid and electric vehicles here in the U.S., were excited to participate in the electric vehicle market by expanding our capabilities to supply these manufacturers with the solutions they need. Seohan has two plants in Auburn, the companys first in the U.S. One opened in the Auburn Industrial park in 2008, and the other opened in Auburn Industrial Park West in 2014. The company expanded again in 2019, investing $28.55 million into both plants. That expansion created an additional 20 jobs over a four-year period and increased the localization of machined parts for vehicles manufactured in east Alabama and west Georgia. Seohan was founded in Korea in 1974 as The Korea Flange Company. They now seek to contribute to human society through the advanced technologies increasing fuel efficiency and weight reduction on cars. Auburn Mayor Ron Anders congratulated the company on Tuesday. Seohan has been a wonderful addition to Auburns industrial family and is evidence of the key work being done right here in our community to support innovation in the automotive sector, Anders said. We look forward to seeing Seohans continued success in the years to come. Five years ago, two Huntsville teens started a window-cleaning and pressure-washing business in high school to save up to attend Auburn University. Today, theyve expanded their business to two more cities, have plans to spread throughout the entire state, and are looking to give back to their campus community. And they havent even graduated from Auburn yet. Josiah Hart and Joshua Quattlebaum founded Quality Care Exterior Solutions while students at Grissom High School in Huntsville. In 2017, during their junior year, they were looking for ways to save for college. Hart said they wanted to start a business, but they didnt know what it was going to be. One day Quattlebaum called Hart to ask if hed like to help him clean windows at a local Circle K gas station in Huntsville. Hart said he wasnt thrilled about the idea at first, but he agreed to take on the task. After they finished their work, Hart said the manager was impressed and asked them if theyd like to add the six other Circle Ks in the area. Quattlebaum said yes and the two started cleaning those seven gas stations once a month. I guess something about the community seeing young kids, we were juniors in high school, out working and they loved that, Hart said. People would come up to us and theyd ask if wed want to come clean their house and things like that. Shortly afterward, Hart and Quattlebaum decided to turn their gig into an official business. They got licensed and insured, and things took off from there. In 2019, Hart and Quattlebaum came to Auburn University and established a branch in Auburn and Montgomery while maintaining the Huntsville branch. We figured well keep doing this and use it to put ourselves through college, Hart said. Each is now 21 years old and a senior at Auburn, with Hart majoring in business management and Quattlebaum in finance. In their business, they service both commercial and residential customers, and besides cleaning windows, theyve added houses, roofs and gutters to their list of cleaning services as well as pressure-washing various surfaces. Theyve been able to hire employees who were also saving for college or already enrolled. Hart said the first employee they hired in Auburn was Daniel Laughlin, 21, who is also working to pay his way through college. A sophomore physical education major, Laughlin transferred from Jefferson State Community College after taking a few semesters off during the COVID-19 pandemic to save money. He joined the Quality Care Exterior Solutions team in January after meeting Hart and Quattlebaum. Its been such a blessing, and its just been great to work around my school schedule, Laughlin said. Its been a great experience, and the community has been really welcoming. Hart and Quattlebaum said they love meeting new people and listening to their stories. In Auburn, they say, theyve cleaned homes of professors from the university and other interesting individuals. They plan to continue the business after they graduate and hope to expand across the entire state of Alabama. Were dreaming at this point, Hart said. Weve got plans to make that a reality, but its not going to be easy. Hart said he never thought the business would grow as much as it has but feels extremely thankful. The amount of support that weve received from people is incredible, he said. Thats why Hart and Quattlebaum want to offer a full service exterior cleaning to a local individual, and if it goes well, Hart said theyll consider making it an annual event. Hart said they need help finding the right person and are asking the community to email them at info@qualitycareexteriors.com to nominate citizens before Aug. 5. We want input from people, Hart said. We want to get the input from the community to figure out who deserves it, somebody else who gives back to the community, and we want to reward that if we can. Dr. Caitlin Bernard, a reproductive healthcare provider, speaks during an abortion rights rally on June 25, 2022, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. (Jenna Watson/AP) INDIANAPOLIS An Indianapolis doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio took the first step Tuesday toward suing Indianas attorney general for defamation. Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist who gave the girl a medication-induced abortion on June 30, filed a tort claim notice over what she says are false statements that Attorney General Todd Rokita has made about her and her work. Advertisement Bernard received widespread attention after she gave an interview to the Indianapolis Star about the child, who traveled to Indiana from Ohio for the abortion. A so-called fetal heartbeat law took effect in Ohio last month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Such laws ban abortions from the time a fetus heartbeat can be detected, which is typically around the sixth week of pregnancy. A 27-year-old man was charged last week in Columbus, Ohio, with raping the girl, confirming the existence of a case that was initially met with skepticism by some news outlets and Republican politicians. Advertisement Bernards lawyer, Kathleen DeLaney, filed the tort claim notice against Rokita just days after she sent a cease and desist letter. The claim starts a 90-day period for the state to settle it. If its not settled, Bernard could file a lawsuit. The claim didnt say how much money Bernard is seeking, noting that the harm is ongoing. Mr. Rokitas false and misleading statements about alleged misconduct by Dr. Bernard in her profession constitute defamation, the claim reads. The statements have been and continue to be published by or on behalf of Mr. Rokita and the Office of the Attorney General. After the news of the 10-year-olds abortion broke, Rokita told Fox he would investigate whether Bernard violated child abuse notification or abortion reporting laws. He also said his office would look into whether anything Bernard said to the Indianapolis Star about the girls case violated federal medical privacy laws. Rokita offered no specific allegations of wrongdoing. Records obtained by The Associated Press and local news outlets show that Bernard submitted her report about the girls abortion on July 2, which is within Indianas required three-day reporting period for an abortion performed on a girl younger than 16. Rokita did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Indiana Democratic Party criticized Rokita for the impact the lawsuit would have on taxpayers. Hoosier taxpayers will now have to pay for Attorney General Todd Rokitas national smear campaign against a doctor who helped a 10-year-old rape survivor attain a legal and safe abortion, party spokesperson Drew Anderson wrote in an email. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Local Auburn teen Kounte Threadgill is the recipient of the Gatsy Rice Campership, the inaugural Auburn University camp scholarship funded by the newly published book, Auburn: A History in Street Names. Fifteen-year-old Threadgill is recognized for acting heroically when a fire engulfed his familys home in 2020. Only 13 years old at the time, he ran through the fire to save his four younger siblings who were separated by the flames in different rooms of the home. Because of his brave action, he and his family were safely out of the home by the time firefighters arrived. I didnt think, I was just acting, Threadgill said. Threadgill, who enjoys math and science and dreams of one day being a doctor, chose to attend ACT Bootcamp with the scholarship. The weeklong camp provides an in-depth review of the ACT exam and introduces students to the admissions process, career services and student involvement opportunities at Auburn University. Authored by Sam Hendrix, Auburn: A History in Street Names tells a comprehensive history of the City of Auburn through a look at the street names. Hendrix spent most of his career with the university as a public relations and development professional. Proceeds from book sales fund an endowment at the university to provide academic camp scholarships for Auburn Youth Programs. The camperships, which cover costs of registration, on-campus lodging and meals, provide the opportunity for local youth to attend weeklong academic summer camps at the university. Each camp scholarship is named for the remarkable individuals whose stories are told throughout the book. Gatsy Rice, for whom the inaugural scholarship is named, came to Auburn in the 1840s as a servant in a local household. Though born into slavery, Rice had an entrepreneurial spirit that allowed her to climb the economic scale. After the war, she prospered as an independent seamstressmending uniforms of East Alabama Male College cadets and others in townand running a boarding house. She eventually owned property in both downtown Auburn and Opelika. The book made its debut in 2021 and sold out in 29 days. A second printing is now available for purchase in Auburn-area bookstores and online. For more information on the book, making a purchase or the Sam and Mary Ellen Hendrix Endowed Fund for Excellence in the Office of University Outreach, visit aub.ie/auburnstreetnames. Auburn Youth Programs, a program area within the universitys Office of Professional and Continuing Education, is an extension of University Outreach that sponsors and executes a variety of summer programs designed to educate and inspire youth. To learn more about Auburn Youth Programs, visit auburn.edu/summercamps. jesus that's horrible. gun violence is a plague. Reply Thread Link On-set security was killed by a random person coming up and enacting violence. Jeeze. Reply Thread Link "Random" is still debatable, though. Reply Parent Thread Link RIP, this is terrible. Gun violence is running rampant around this place and all the Supreme Court cares about is Gay Marraige. SMDH Condolences to his family. Reply Thread Link jfc, that's scary Reply Thread Link Yes, this was really sad. I live on this street a few blocks up. At first I thought it was over a parking dispute because tensions over parking are very high in the neighborhood, but it seems like he was just sitting in the car and the guy opened the door and fired, so i'm wondering if it was someone he knew or just another person snapping and murdering someone for no reason Reply Thread Link Fuck that's awful. RIP to him and all the love to his families So many extreme, weird deaths in the news lately. I was just reading about the 21 teens who died in South London last week, so wild and upsetting Reply Thread Link what the fuck? 21? Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah :( It sounds like it was just a tragic accident with methanol poisoning, but a tragedy all the same - https://www.npr.org/2022/07/19/1112310405/south-africa-teens-methanol-bar-deaths Reply Parent Thread Link Thats horrific Reply Parent Thread Link ***south africa Reply Parent Thread Link They died in S. London, they were from South Africa my bad, you're right. I misread Edited at 2022-07-19 11:19 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Really mind boggling how this is still just another day in a so called developed 1st world country Reply Thread Link My condolences to his family, Im so sorry. May he Rest In Peace now The increase in shootings is terrifying. So many random incidents around my city, almost all of them involving teens to people in their late twenties. When will it end Reply Thread Link oh this is horrific, and so unexpected?! Reply Thread Link legit cant believe this happened in Greenpoint, i was reading that it might have been targeted or gang initiation or something. i legit cannot deal with all the gun violence, not just in NYC, but in the whole country, i feel like every two weeks there is another random mass shooting not accounting for random singular shootings like this one. And of course there are gang mass shootings or random ~ dispute related mass shootings like ten times a fucking day. I am so scared, i am so paranoid. This may just be be nostalgia glasses, but i feel like every thing was better pre-covid. like this country sucked but it's gotten so much worse and more violent, i feel like it's the fucking 1980s. I love NYC, but i hate this country and I hate how easy it is to get a gun here. I feel like no one is safe. i know you can still get stabbed or beat to death and there are quite a few stabbing murders in NYC specifically, but i feel like it's way easier to survive a stabbing. Reply Thread Link I get what you mean. I live in NYC too and my neighborhood has never been one of the safest but it's definitely worst these days. I get paranoid anytime I go out honestly. I try to not even go out once the sun sets anymore. I can't even remember the last time I took the subway- something I'd do on the daily before. July 4 weekend it was insane here. Crazy loud music and crowded streets. There were some stabbings, muggings and even gunshots heard around here. Like it was insane insane. My mother even said she hadn't seen our neighborhood like that since the 80s. :/ Reply Parent Thread Link Do you live in Brooklyn as well? I do and I know there was a lot of violence july 4th weekend, but i feel like my area was safe, but it's a quiet area in general, minus the fireworks like every single fucking night (I live in southern Brooklyn, big Eastern European area). I totally understand what you mean about the subway, I actually have to take it quite often for work and outings and there is always a lot of people on it which makes me feel better, but I feel like every since the mass shooting earlier this year everyone has their guard up and everyone is hyper aware. I need to take the subway bc i'm not driving into Manhattan, but i definitely hate taking it super super long distances anymore. A lot of times I try to remind myself that there is actual crime versus perception of crime and it is definitely not as bad as the 80s right now, but the fear is slipping back into that. I really don't understand how COVID caused this whole country to become even more violent than it was. The crime jump in almost every city has been crazy, not to mention the record shootings. It's fucking scary. Reply Parent Thread Link ....i feel like it's way easier to survive a stabbing. I think in general, you are. Depending on the amount of times a person is stabbed, the kind of knife & the location of the hits. Bullets are designed for killing. They inflect damage entering & exiting the body. Take this for example; [The attacker] used a pair of eight-inch kitchen knives to stab and slash 20 students and a security guard. Four students sustained life-threatening injuries, but all survived.[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Regional_High_School_stabbing If he had used an "assault style" rifle (maybe even a regular rifle or handgun) most, if not all, the victims would be dead. I think in general, you are. Depending on the amount of times a person is stabbed, the kind of knife & the location of the hits.Bullets are designed for killing. They inflect damage entering & exiting the body.Take this for example;[The attacker] used a pair of eight-inch kitchen knives to stab and slash 20 students and a security guard. Four students sustained life-threatening injuries, but all survived.[3]If he had used an "assault style" rifle (maybe even a regular rifle or handgun) most, if not all, the victims would be dead. Reply Parent Thread Link !!! I also think about the Tokyo train stabbing attacks in late 2021 where the guy stabbed SEVENTEEN people including some directly in the chest and abdomen and they all survived. Reply Parent Thread Link the random violence honestly is so terrifying right now. it's now hitting so close to home. the man that was killed on the Q train a couple months back was a friend of mine. and now this is happening in my neighborhood. guns are a plague. Reply Parent Thread Link the random violence honestly is so terrifying right now. it's now hitting so close to home. the man that was killed on the Q train a couple months back was a friend of mine. and now this is happening in my neighborhood. guns are a plague. Reply Parent Thread Link holy shit im so so so sorry for your loss! This is quite odd on my end, but I saw some articles after and his partner was actually a regular customer of mine at a store I used to work at. I couldn't believe it. The city is so big, but it's so small. Edited to say: I have a sick obsession with the news and I like to read news articles and crime reports from a lot of American and Canadian cities and the uptick in random violence is HUGE right now. I don't ever remember seeing this many random murders until recently. It's fucking terrifying. You don't feel safe anywhere. Sometimes I think about moving until I see a million news articles about road rage shootings or mass shootings in random towns (the most recent one at a mall in Indiana comes to mind!) and then I decide to hedge my bets. I truly do not know how COVID led to this, what the fuck is happening!!!! Edited at 2022-07-20 05:19 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Good god that's just awful. Reply Thread Link RIP that's so scary The gun violence has been insane these past few weeks around here. About a week ago there were 4 guys shot and murdered practically back to back within 3 hrs of each other in different parts of the city. Can't help but be paranoid and be scared to even walk outside these days. Reply Thread Link I already replied to you upthread lol, but i saw that and I'm pretty sure none of those were random at least. The random murders/stray bullet deaths are the ones that are super scary imo. Reply Parent Thread Link Libya will begin loading oil for export on July 20 after the force majeure was declared lifted following an intense battle for control of the National Oil Company (NOC) last week. The Government of National Unity (GNU), led by interim prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, last week appointed a new chairman of the NOC to replace long-time chairman Mustafa Sanalla, who refused to step down when armed militias stormed the headquarters. After days of silence on the NOC website and social media pages, late on Monday, a statement released on the NOC Facebook page said that two tankers would arrive at the ports of Zueitina and Sidra to load more than one million barrels of oil. The statement also said that an additional two tankers would arrive at the port of Ras Lanuf, either on the 20th or 21st. These arrangements have been made in order to resume production operations, NOC added. Farhat Bengdara (bin Qadara) on Sunday said he had officially taken over the NOC and announced that the oil blockade would be lifted within a week after holding talks with powerbrokers in the Oil Crescent region. Sanalla remains silent, and talk now is of some sort of alliance-shifting deal between General Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) who had supported Dbeibahs rival, Fathi Bashagha. Bashagha was appointed new prime minister in March by the countrys eastern-backed Parliament, while Dbeibah, whose mandate technically ended when his government failed to hold elections in December last year, has refused to step down. As of June 30th, Libya was exporting between 365,000 and 409,000 barrels per day. Prior to the declaration of force majeure in April, the country was exporting up to 865,000 bpd, according to NOC data cited by S&P Platts. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: For a moment last week, it seemed that Libya might be snapping back into some version of itself more approaching normalcy than has been evident for some time. There was news from local sources that the countrys state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) had lifted the force majeure on the eastern oil terminals of Zueitina and Brega that had been in place on and off for weeks. This move was made specifically to allow an oil tanker ship to carry condensate for use in power generation in the country, but the expectations were that it would presage a broader opening of Libyas oil export infrastructure. Such force majeures and other associated shutdowns and blockades have resulted in Libya producing just 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil in June, its lowest level since October 2020. This message of optimism was one conveyed also by NOC chairman, Mustafa Sanalla, last week. And yet, within the space of just a few hours, Libya had returned to its usual state of extreme nervous tension, with all the reliability and trustworthiness as a global oil supplier of a puff adder on Benzedrine. Functioning more every day as a twisted parody of the failed state that the casual removal in 2011 by the West of its long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, made it, Libya appears now to have lost Sanalla himself as the chairman of the NOC, with all the additional chaos that this may spark. According to several local news reports, the Government of National Unity of Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, has replaced Sanalla as the chairman of the NOC with his long-time associate, Farhat Bengdara, who was governor of the Central Bank of Libya from 2006 to 2011. Sanalla, highly respected by several international oil companies (IOCs) for keeping much of Libyas oil production flowing despite extreme political pressures from all sides in the ongoing civil conflict, has rejected Prime Minister Dbeibahs authority to sack him. Additionally, in a fiery television appearance, Sanalla who has received backing from both of Libyas opposing legislative bodies - warned Dbeibah not to touch the NOC or the oil revenues and contracts that it manages. Bengdara then held his own news conference at the NOC headquarters building and received the backing of two major NOC affiliate companies - Al Waha Oil, and Arabian Gulf Oil - before Al Waha then deleted its message of support. Related: EU Considers Mandatory Gas Rationing All of this follows the very recent failed attempt by Fathi Bashagha appointed prime minister of the alternative government in the east of the country three months ago to seize power in Tripoli. Bashagha, and the Nawasi Brigade militia who accompanied him, were eventually driven out of the city by various of the many factions fighting there. This occurred amid the ongoing refusal of the Dbeibah - who was appointed through a United Nations (U.N.)-led process in 2021 - to hand over power until such a time as a properly elected government is voted into office by the people of Libya. Bashagha, who has led three such coup attempts in three months, is unlikely to stop his current attempts to seize power, given the distinct possibility that recent talks held in Egypt at the behest of U.N. envoy Stephanie Williams to reach an agreement on a new constitutional framework and a timeline for elections might see him side-lined. Since the removal of long-time leader Gaddafi, in 2011, as analysed in depth in my new book on the global oil markets, the multi-factional civil conflict that has ensued found genuine relief only in the September 2020 agreement signed between Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the rebel Libyan National Army (LNA) and elements of Tripolis U.N.-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). However, even back then, a key part of this deal was an in-principle agreement to look into establishing a commission not only to determine how oil revenues across Libya are distributed but also to consider the implementation of a number of measures designed to stabilise the countrys perilous financial position. Just prior to the September 2020 agreement, there had been yet another series of long-running oil blockades that had cost the country an estimated US$9.8 billion in lost hydrocarbons revenues. Both before this 2020 agreement and after it began to break down, Libyas oil sector has been subject to various-scale blockades of its key oil facilities, and the NOC had also declared a legal state of force majeure because it is impossible to implement its commitments towards the oil market. Libyan crude oil production had seen the extended loss of around 550,000 bpd of its oil production because of these blockades on major fields and export terminals, which included the closure of the Zueitina port, whose crude loadings average around 90,000 bpd, with production also stopped at Abuatufol, Al-Intisar, Anakhla, and Nafura. Just prior to this, the Sharara field in the west of the country, which can pump around 300,000 bpd, was also shut down and just prior to this the El Feel oil field, which produces 70,000 bpd, was closed, as was the 60,000 bpd Brega operation. These sites are key suppliers of mostly high-quality light, sweet crude oil, notably including the Es Sider and Sharara export crudes that are particularly in demand in the Mediterranean and Northwest Europe for their gasoline and middle distillate yields. Before Gaddafis removal in 2011, Libya had been easily able to produce around 1.65 million bpd of mostly high-quality light, sweet crude oil and production had been on a rising production trajectory, up from about 1.4 million bpd in 2000, albeit well below the peak levels of more than 3 million bpd achieved in the late 1960s. This said, the NOC had plans in place before 2011 to roll out enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques to increase crude oil production at maturing oil fields. Even up until the most recent major production blockades of its western fields ended and eastern ports, Libya had been producing around 1.2 million bpd. From that level, there still appeared ample scope to increase this to the 2.1 million bpd targeted by Libyas minister of gas and oil, Mohamed Aoun, and to hit the informal interim targets of 1.45 million bpd by the end of 2022, and 1.6 million bpd by the end of 2023. It is apposite to remember at this point that Libya still has around 48 billion barrels of proved crude oil reserves the largest in Africa. A considerable part of the reason for Sanallas dismissal by Dbeibah may have been to do with his ongoing disagreements with oil and gas minister Aoun, but this in turn is tied into the ongoing failure of all parties to agree on any meaningful handling of the countrys oil and gas revenues. At the core of Libyas short-, medium-, and long-term crude oil production outlook, and again reiterated behind the scenes in the recent Cairo talks initiated by the U.S., is that there must be genuine progress on the issue of fair distribution of oil revenues, the promise of which had successfully underpinned the 2020 agreement for longer than anyone expected. According to a Washington-based legal source spoken to by OilPrice.com at the time of the September 2020 agreement and reiterated recently, the NOC had been working on alternative banking arrangements for the oil revenues that may or may not involve the input on final dispersal of more players. Part of this process would be the creation of technical committees with representatives drawn from all sides of the civil conflict. These separate committees would deal with field awards, in tandem with the oil and gas ministry, and the dispersal of oil and gas revenues, in tandem with the ministry and the Central Bank of Libya (in which the revenues are physically held). As it stands, neither the GNA nor the Central Bank of Libya have publicly and unequivocally agreed to its core principles as yet. Indeed, during the last major series of blockades of Libyas oil infrastructure, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, urged the countrys central bank to safeguard oil revenue from misappropriation. Bengdara said last week that any challenge to his leadership of the NOC should be made via the courts, but parliament stated that Sanallas position and his board remained valid, while the other legislative body, the Tripoli-based High State Council, called on Dbeibah to revoke the decision to install a new NOC head. Bengdara also said that there would be good news next week on returning oil exports to their maximum level, it remains unclear how true or long-lasting this might be, given the ongoing turmoil over the leadership of the NOC. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Cooperation in the field of energy has always been at the top of our agenda," said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The move comes as Europe races to reduce its reliance on Russian energy. The European Union has just signed a new agreement with Azerbaijan to bolster energy ties. The European Union is hailing a new energy agreement with Azerbaijan that could see the gas-rich Caspian nation double the flow of gas to Europe in five years, part of Brussels effort to reduce reliance on Russia. After the July 18 signing ceremony in Baku, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen both stressed their commitment to strengthening and broadening collaboration in energy and other areas. Cooperation in the field of energy has always been at the top of our agenda," said Aliyev. We are interested in expanding cooperation in education, transportation and all other areas." For her part, von der Leyen said that with the new memorandum of understanding, the EU is "opening a new chapter in our energy cooperation with Azerbaijan, a key partner in our efforts to move away from Russian fossil fuels." EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson confirmed that under the memorandum Azerbaijan is "expected" to deliver an extra 4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to the EU this year (bringing the total to 12 bcm) and to increase transfers to "at least" 20 bcm by 2027. Despite the upbeat comments, the six sections of the five-page MoU are little more than a wish list of what both sides would like to see happen, given the right circumstances. Short on details, the bulk of the document restates the EU's commitments and hopes regarding climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It includes broad suggestions of cooperation with Baku in renewable energy, energy efficiency and production, and the transit of "green hydrogen." The only significant concrete proposal was the suggestion that Azerbaijan could double its gas exports to the EU by 2027. That though is presented in the MoU as far short of a commitment. Both sides, it says, "aspire to support bilateral trade of natural gas, including through exports to the European Union, via the Southern Gas Corridor, of at least 20 billion cubic meters of gas annually by 2027, in accordance with commercial viability and market demand." The statement is further tempered in the final article, which says that nothing in the MoU " should create any binding legal or financial obligations" and that the MoU "does not constitute an obligation to allocate funds." Such a frank "get out clause" is hardly unusual. Azerbaijan's gas fields and the chain of pipelines that carry the gas through Georgia and Turkey to Greece where some goes to Bulgaria and the bulk to Albania and across the Adriatic to Italy are controlled by multi-party international consortia. Related: Is Biden Ready To Ease Sanctions Against Venezuela? It is the companies comprising these consortia that will decide whether to invest the billions of dollars necessary to increase gas production and expand pipeline capacity. Talks between the various partners on realizing that investment are believed to be underway. Out of gas With Europe eager to wean itself off Russian gas, and no end in sight to Moscows war on Ukraine, there seems little doubt that the consortia can sell all the gas they can transit. But energy analysts are asking a more fundamental question: Can Azerbaijan provide? The country has limited scope for increased production and has its own growing demand to meet. Late last year, to prevent domestic shortages, Baku reached a swap agreement to import gas from Iran, which in return receives the same volume from Turkmenistan. BP, operator of Azerbaijan's biggest gas field, Shah Deniz, has warned that the field cannot supply all the gas needed to double exports to Europe, while other smaller fields under development are not expected to produce sufficient quantities. For many years officials have discussed Azerbaijan transiting gas from its Caspian neighbor Turkmenistan, which holds the world's fourth-largest reserves. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay announced on June 2 that Ankara is looking at three ways of bringing gas from Turkmenistan to Turkey via Azerbaijan. One would expand the existing Turkmenistan-Iran-Azerbaijan swap, another would see a new pipeline cross part of the Caspian. Turkey's intentions, though, are still unclear. Oktay confirmed only plans to bring the gas to Turkey via the Southern Gas Corridor; he made no mention whether it will then be transited to Europe and if so on what terms. Baku too has remained quiet on the Turkish proposals. Aliyev's statement following the MoU signing suggested Baku is more interested in securing EU help to boost its renewables program to free up more of its own gas for export. One thing, however, is abundantly clear: With Europe fearing that Moscow could stop its 150 bcm of gas deliveries as soon as this winter, an extra 10 bcm from the Caspian in five years will make little difference. By Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: South Korea shares the ambition to (re)land on the moon with the United States, Russia, India, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. Asian rocket programs are actually among the oldest active programs in the world. Only 11 state-sponsored space travel programs are active in the world today. South Korea last month joined the quite exclusive club of countries that have the capability of launching space rockets using homegrown technology. Rocket Nuri, officially named the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II, successfully took off from Goheung in Southern Korea on June 21 carrying smaller satellites as well as a 1.3 tons dummy one, demonstrating the ability to payload satellites above the one-ton mark. According to the Korean Herald, only seven countries in the world have ever developed this capability. According to Statista research, only 13 countries and the European Space Agency have historically developed space-going rockets. You will find more infographics at Statista Only 11 of these programs are active today, including the Russian and Ukrainian programs which are continuations of the former Soviet space program the first to ever launch a rocket into Earths orbit. European programs in the UK and France have ended and countries in the region have been collaborating on the ESA program since 1979. Asian rocket programs are actually among the oldest active programs in the world, with the Chinese and Japanese programs hailing back to 1970 and the Indian one to 1980. South Korea shares the ambition to (re)land on the moon with the United States, Russia, India, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers addresses a joint session of the Legislature in the Assembly chambers during the governor's State of the State speech at the state Capitol, Feb. 15, 2022, in Madison, Wis. (Andy Manis/AP) MADISON, Wis. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, the most commercially successful director of all time, donated $20,000 to Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers reelection campaign, a tally released Tuesday showed. Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, were among 31 people who gave Evers the maximum $20,000 donation allowed under law, according information from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Those 31 top donors gave Evers a total of $620,000. Advertisement Of the $10.1 million Evers raised over the first half of the year, about $4.3 million came in cash and in-kind donations from the Wisconsin Democratic Party, the Democracy Campaign said. That helped Evers report the highest amount of fundraising over that period for any incumbent governor, beating the previous record set by then-Gov. Scott Walker at about $5.5 million in 2018. Evers beat Walker, a Republican, in 2018 and is running for a second term. Advertisement Spielberg, who directed such blockbusters as E.T., Jurassic Park and Jaws, is a longtime supporter of Democratic candidates across the country. Earlier this year he and Capshaw also donated $10,000 each to Democratic Nevada Attorney General Aaron Fords campaign. The Aug. 9 Wisconsin primary will determine who Evers faces in November. One of the top Republican candidates in that race, construction company co-owner Tim Michels, has spent $7.9 million of his own money so far. Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch raised $3.6 million over the first half of the year and didnt contribute any of her own money. Other notable $20,000 donors to Evers, as tracked by the Democracy Campaign, include: Jeff and Erica Lawson, of San Francisco. Jeff Lawson is co-founder and chief executive officer of Twilio. Billionaire couple Dirk and Natasha Ziff, of New York City. David Rusenko, of San Francisco. He is founder and chief executive officer of Weebly and e-commerce general manager of Square. Monica Horan Rosenthal, of Los Angeles. She is an actress who appeared in the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Jennifer Soros, of New York City, president of the Jennifer and Jonathan Allan Soros Foundation. For some companies, it is the windfall tax that oil and gas companies face in the region that make the extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea unattractive. Major oil firms are turning their backs on North Sea oil for various reasons. Environmental organizations have been putting increasing pressure on the U.K. government to curb oil activities in the North Sea, particularly following the COP26 climate summit last year. And now the U.K.s Windfall tax is discouraging oil companies from investing in operations in the region. Meanwhile, there is still plenty of optimism around oil and gas discoveries, demonstrating the potential for the continuation of lucrative oil activities in the North Sea. So, will the potential for more oil finds outweigh the challenges being faced in these waters? Last month when U.K. business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted that a new oil project would be going forward in the North Sea, it was met with staunch opposition. He said, Jackdaw gasfield originally licensed in 1970 has today received final regulatory approval. Were turbocharging renewables and nuclear but we are also realistic about our energy needs now. Lets source more of the gas we need from British waters to protect energy security. The blase nature of the tweet shocked environmentalists, hundreds of whom took to the streets in protest of the development within 24 hours of the announcement. Activists blocked government offices in Glasgow and threw red paint to represent blood. The rapid organization of the response to the tweet demonstrated the vast opposition to the expansion of oil and gas activities in the North Sea. And the demonstrations are no longer made up of just climate warriors but also of senior religious figures, business representatives, activists, community groups, and major NGOs. The most prominent of the anti-oil campaigns in the region was last years Stop Cambo movement, aimed at deterring oil giant Shell and Siccar Point Energy from developing their Cambo oilfield. If developed, Cambo is expected to produce 170 million barrels of oil in its first phase, operating until around 2050. Climate activists pointed out that the development of a new oilfield was contradictory to the U.K.'s aim to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the mid-century. And its not just in the U.K., as German and Dutch environmental groups ask a Dutch court to halt the development of a gas field in the North Sea. Dutch firm ONE-Dyas has been granted approval by Dutch authorities to develop its N05-A gas field in the waters, which straddles Germany and the Netherlands. While the platform is expected to run off of wind energy, NGOs worry that it will increase future dependence on fossil fuels across the two countries. The project is expected to start providing gas to Dutch and German towns by 2024, with the potential to produce 13 billion cubic meters of gas. Related: Germany: Return Of Coal And Oil Power Plants Is Only Temporary Meanwhile, in the U.K. its not only environmentalists opposing operations. Oil companies themselves are unsure about production opportunities following the introduction of a windfall tax in the face of rising consumer bills. U.K. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the new tax in June as a means of raising nearly $6 million from oil and gas firms that have been making huge profits during the energy crises. Funds will go towards cutting household bills. But several oil and gas firms see the scheme as seriously flawed. The CEO of Harbour Energy, Linda Cook, addressed Sunak in a letter in which she asked him to revise the energy profits levy (EPL) proposal. Cook wrote, While I appreciate the scale of the cost of living crisis in the UK, the EPL as currently proposed is, in effect, retrospective and disproportionately impacts the independent oil and gas companies which have recently invested the most to help ensure UK domestic energy supply. Shell, BP, and Equinor have all also warned of a slowing of investments should the tax go ahead. And a professor from Aberdeen University, Alex Kemp, believes that several oil and gas firms in the region will choose to put off removing and breaking up North Sea oil and gas assets until the windfall tax has run its course. He explained, Decommissioning costs incurred in the period 2022-2025 will not be relieved against EPL although it is a profit tax. This may well mean that decommissioning activity in the UKCS is at least to some extent postponed until after 2025. Although the government recently said rebates for retiring assets would not be taxed. But some are still optimistic as new discoveries offer hope. Just this month, UK-headquartered oil and gas firm United Oil & Gas (UOG) announced its recent discovery was valued at $40 million on a risked basis, or $130 million on an unrisked basis. The Maria discovery is located in License P2519 in the Central North Sea, a license which is believed to hold 6 million barrels of oil equivalent. This shows the potential for future oil and gas developments in the region, even though there are several challenges facing operations. As growing climate concerns from environmentalists put pressure on the U.K. government to restrict new oil and gas activity in the North Sea, energy firms are also critiquing the new Windfall tax for discouraging investment in the area. However, recent discoveries show that there is still oil and gas potential in the North Sea, the question is whether companies are willing to invest in the face of so many challenges. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The European Commission, the EUs executive arm, plans to propose emergency powers that would include binding cuts in natural gas consumption in EU member states in case of supply emergencies such as a complete stop of Russian gas, Politico reports, quoting three EU diplomats. Under the plan, EU member states could be given mandatory targets to conserve and reduce gas consumption in the coming months if gas supply shortages worsen. The proposal is expected to be unveiled on Wednesday, when the European Commission will communicate measures to save gas ahead of the winter, according to Politicos sources. The plan is expected to include a reduction of between 10 percent and 15 percent of gas consumption per member state, two of the EU diplomats told Politico. Europe is increasingly concerned that it may have to resort to rationing gas supplies this winter, following the drastic reduction of Russian gas deliveries since the middle of June. Gas flows via Nord Stream, the key link from Russia to Germany, are stopped for regular two-week maintenance on the pipeline that ends on July 21. But Germany and other EU member states are concerned that Russia may not resume flows via Nord Stream once the maintenance period ends, or that it could further reduce supply. Gazprom has reportedly declared force majeure on gas deliveries to at least one major customer in Europe, which could further worsen the gas row between the EU and Russia. In a commentary on Monday, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said that Europe needs to take immediate steps to conserve gas and reduce its consumption to prevent much more drastic cuts and curtailments later on. We have seen some progress on this, particularly in terms of diversifying gas supplies but not enough, especially on the demand side, to prevent Europe from finding itself in an incredibly precarious situation today, Birol said yesterday. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Canadas federal government proposed on Monday steps to develop an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector, the largest contributor to the countrys greenhouse gas emissions. The plan drew criticism from the government of the key oil and gas-producing province, Alberta, which said it would not accept a plan from the federal government interfering with its ability to develop energy resources. In a discussion document published this week, Canada seeks input by September 30, 2022, on two proposed ways to cap emissions from the oil and gas industry. One option is to introduce a cap-and-trade system under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act that sets regulated limits on emissions from the sector. The other is to modify the carbon pricing benchmark requirements for heavy emitters to create price-driven incentives to reduce emissions to levels corresponding to the cap. The oil and gas sector is Canadas largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for around 27 percent of total national emissions in 2020, the Canadian government said. True global energy security and affordability can only come with reduced emissions. With this cap, we will work with industry, provinces, Indigenous groups, civil society, and others to take action on drawing down the emissions from oil and gas production, said Steven Guilbeault, Canadas Minister of Environment and Climate Change. But Alberta said, via Minister of Environment and Parks, Whitney Issik, and Minister of Energy Sonya Savage, that it will not accept any plan from the federal government that seeks to interfere in our constitutionally protected ability to develop our resources. Provinces are the owners of these natural resources, which have been responsibly managed on behalf of Canadians for decades. Alberta is fully prepared to engage in meaningful and productive discussions with the federal government on ways we can reduce emissions yet we have not been given that chance, the ministers said. Alberta already has a limit on oil sands emissions, and the Pathways Alliance is targeting net zero by 2050. In addition, methane has been reduced from the upstream oil and gas sector by nearly 35 percent since 2014, and Alberta has the fastest-growing renewable energy sector in Canada, the Alberta government says. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Germany's vast chemicals industry has few options left to conserve natural gas amid uncertainty over Russian supply, with German companies risking shutdowns of production in case the supply situation worsens. "There's not much more we can save, as efficiency has already been the driving force in the past few years," Wolfgang Grosse Entrup, CEO at the chemicals association Verband der Chemischen Industrie (VCI), told Reuters on Tuesday. Germany's chemicals industry is the third largest industrial sector in Germany after the automotive manufacturing and machinery sectors. Germany, Europe's biggest economy, and other EU member states are not ruling out the possibility that Russia may not resume gas flows via Nord Stream once the two-week maintenance period of the pipeline ends on July 21, or that Russia could cut supplies further. Amid growing supply concerns, there have been calls for conserving gas, but the chemicals industry which accounts for 15% of Germany's gas consumption and is the single biggest gas consumer in the country says there isn't anything left to conserve. The possibility for saving gas is very limited, VCI's energy expert Jorg Rothermel told German radio WDR 5 Morgenecho in an interview at the end of last week. The option is basically to forgo production, Rothermel added. Germany depended on Russian gas supply for around 40 percent of its consumption before the war in Ukraine, and although it has reduced that dependence since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it still fears shortages, rationing, an industrial collapse, and a recession in case Russian supply is further cut or completely halted. Russian gas supply cuts could lead to widespread industrial collapse, German Federation of Trade Unions head Yasmin Fahimi said earlier this month. "Entire industries are in danger of collapsing permanently because of the gas bottlenecks: aluminum, glass, the chemical industry," Fahimi said earlier this month. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will discuss Ukrainian grain exports at their meeting on July 19 in Tehran, an adviser to Putin has said. Putin is scheduled to travel to Tehran to meet Erdogan and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as part of the so-called Astana format of talks related to Syria, the Kremlin said last week. Putin will also meet with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his visit, the first trip by the Russian leader to a country outside the former Soviet Union since he launched the ongoing invasion of Ukraine on February 24. It will be Putin's fifth meeting with Khamenei. "The contact with Khamenei is very important," Yury Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser, told reporters in Moscow. "A trusting dialogue has developed between them on the most important issues on the bilateral and international agenda." He said on most issues the positions of the two countries are "close or identical." Ushakov also said Putins discussions with Erdogan would include a plan to unblock shipments of Ukrainian grain. "The issue of Ukrainian grain shipment will be discussed with Erdogan.... We are ready to continue work on this track," Russian news agencies quoted Ushakov as saying. Russia has captured some Black Sea ports and bombarded others, including Odesa, while Ukraine has mined the approaches to some of its ports to protect them from a Russian amphibious assault. Negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations are reportedly close to a deal to allow shipments of grain to begin moving through the ports. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are scheduled to meet UN and Turkish diplomats in Istanbul on July 20 to discuss the possible agreement. The Russian Defense Ministry indicated on July 15 that a final document on the subject would soon be ready to release the blocked grain exports as well as those of Russian grain and fertilizer. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar confirmed that "an agreement in principle...has been found" between Ukraine and Russia to establish a secure sea corridor allowing grain transport. According to Ushakov, a coordination center is to be opened in Istanbul allowing routing of the exports via the Black Sea. Diplomats have said the plan being discussed includes having Ukrainian vessels guide grain ships in and out of port waters that its forces have mined. The negotiators hope the solution would empty the silos in time for upcoming harvest in Ukraine. The impasse over grain exports has helped send global food prices soaring and raised concerns about hunger among people in Africa and the Middle East who depend on shipments of Ukrainian grain. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has warned that the blockade of Ukrainian ports threatens supplies to countless thousands vulnerable to starvation. Borrell dubbed the issue "one of life and death for many human beings." By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: An Omaha man accused of stabbing another man to death on Friday was ordered held on no bail after he appeared in court Monday. Gooden Townsell, 62, was arrested Friday on suspicion of second-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony. On Monday, Townsell was charged with first-degree murder. Police responded to a report of a cutting near the East Park Apartments at 26th and Saint Marys Avenues shortly before 1:20 p.m. Friday. Dontae Berry, 40, was found in the alley with a stab wound to the chest, according to the arrest affidavit for Townsell. Berry was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. According to a police spokeswoman at the scene Friday, a vehicle was seen fleeing from the area after Berry was stabbed. Detectives identified Townsell as a suspect, according to the affidavit, and he was taken into custody Friday afternoon after leading police on a brief car chase near 30th and Parker Streets. Townsell is set to appear in court again next month. A 24-year-old Omaha man who pleaded guilty to motor vehicle homicide while driving drunk has been sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison. Ulises Pantoja caused the death of 37-year-old Candice McDowell of Omaha when he sped through the intersection of 144th and Harrison Streets on Nov. 24, 2021. His southbound BMW coupe collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander driven by McDowell that was eastbound on Harrison Street. The Sarpy County Attorneys Office said witnesses described Pantoja as driving at an extremely high rate of speed. His blood-alcohol content later tested at 0.134%, nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08%. McDowell, the mother of four children, was driving home from work at Timber Creek Pizza Pub and Grill in Omaha the night before Thanksgiving. She was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy, where she died. Mr. Pantojas decision to drink and drive ended Candices life and took her from her family and friends, Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Scott Earl said. Sarpy County District Judge George Thompson sentenced Pantoja on Monday. Under Nebraska sentencing guidelines, Pantoja must serve at least half the minimum sentence before he is eligible for parole. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A defamation lawsuit filed by the former chair of the Virginia Parole Board against a Richmond TV station and one of its reporters has been thrown out by a judge. Tonya Chapman filed a $7 million lawsuit against WTVR-TV and reporter Jon Burkett in March 2021, alleging that two stories Burkett published about an investigation of the parole board by the state's government watchdog agency included several defamatory statements. The lawsuit claimed Chapman suffered great humiliation and injury to her personal and business reputations. The stories focused on a 13-page draft report produced by the Office of the State Inspector General about the board's controversial 2020 decision to release Vincent Martin, an inmate who had served about 40 years in prison for killing a Richmond police officer in 1979. WTVR was the first news organization to report on the document, which contained significant differences from the final report made public last year, including a critical finding about Chapman. Chapman did not participate in the decision to grant Martin parole. She said in her lawsuit that nothing in the first story explained that the report was a draft. She also said that sections of the draft report that dealt with her were not included in the final report because they were not true. In her decision to dismiss the lawsuit, Richmond Circuit Court Judge Jacqueline McClenney wrote that Chapman has not alleged actual malice in her lawsuit. In order to prove defamation against a public figure such as Chapman, plaintiffs must show actual malice, that the defendant realized his statement was false or that he had serious doubts about the truth of his statement. Plaintiff has not pled sufficient facts, McClenney wrote in her ruling. Chapman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the dismissal of her lawsuit. A message was left for her at her office in Portsmouth, where she now works as the city manager. Christian Connell, one of her attorneys, said Chapman intends to appeal the ruling. Sometimes cases take longer than expected. This happens to be one of those cases, Connell said in an email. Burkett and Brett Spain, one of his attorneys, declined to comment. WTVR News Director Sheryl Barnhouse also declined to comment. The lawsuit sought $5 million in compensatory damages and $2 million in punitive damages, plus other expenses. The Uvalde, Texas, gunman gave off so many warning signs that he was obsessed with violence and notoriety in the months leading up to the attack that teens who knew him began calling him school shooter. He was once bullied as a fourth-grader in one of the same classrooms where he killed 19 children and two teachers. And in the planning for the May 24 massacre, he collected articles about the Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting and played video games with a young student while quizzing him about the school schedule. Advertisement A state investigative report that highlighted law enforcements bungled response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School has also provided the most in-depth account to date about missed red flags and possible motivations surrounding 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. Despite many warning signs, he still managed to legally amass more than $5,000 in guns, ammunition and gear in the weeks leading up to the killings. Just days before the attack, Ramos spoke out on social media of his plans to do something that would put him all over the news. He wrote of a desire to kill himself, shared online videos of beheadings and violent sex, and sent footage of himself driving around with someone he met on the internet holding a plastic bag containing a dead cat and pointing BB guns at people out the window. Advertisement The attacker became focused on achieving notoriety, according the interim report released Sunday by an investigative panel of the Texas House of Representatives. He believed his TikTok and YouTube channels would be successful. The small number of views he received led him to tell those with whom he interacted that he was famous, that they were mere randoms by comparison. The 77-page report based on interviews with family members, testimony and data from Ramos phone lays out a long trail of missed signals prior to the massacre but notes these clues were known only to private individuals and not reported to authorities. It also found Ramos had no known ideological or political views that would have made his rantings more widely known. The report traces the descent of a shy, quiet boy once thought by a teacher as a wonderful student with a positive attitude into a mass murderer who gave plenty of signs online and to family members that he was prone to violence as he amassed an arsenal of rifles, body armor and ammunition. A former girlfriend told the FBI that she believed Ramos had been sexually assaulted by one of his mothers boyfriends at an early age, the report said, but when Ramos told his mother at the time, she didnt believe him. Without assigning a specific motive, the report noted that Ramos talked about painful fourth-grade memories to an acquaintance weeks before the shooting. Family members told investigators how Ramos had been bullied as a fourth-grader in one of the same linked classrooms where he carried out the attack. They said he faced ridicule over his stutter, short hair and for wearing the same clothing nearly every day. At one point, the report said, a fellow student tied his shoelaces together and Ramos fell on his face, injuring himself. The report noted that Ramos was flagged by school officials as at risk, but never received any special education services. Failing grades soon were accompanied by frequent absences more than 100 a year beginning in 2018. The report noted it was unclear if a school resource officer ever visited Ramos home. Uvalde High School officials involuntarily withdrew him last fall, when he had only completed the ninth grade. That was about the same time he moved out of his mothers house and began living with his grandmother, just blocks from the elementary school. Advertisement Months before the shooting, Ramos began contacting acquaintances with vague but ominous messages about doing something soon. In March 2022, two months before the shooting, a student on Instagram told him that people at school talk (expletive) about you and call you school shooter. The next month Ramos asked in a direct message on Instagram, Are you still gonna remember me in 50 something days? After the answer probably not Ramos replied, Hmm alright well see in may. Crystal Foutz, who attended school with Ramos, told The Associated Press he was frequently angry and gave off vibes like he could shoot up the place, though it was taken more as joke than serious. You heard people joke and say, He looks like a school shooter, said Foutz, though she quickly added, Ive heard it said about other people. Ramos took jobs at two fast-food restaurants to save money for what he told acquaintances was something big, which family members assumed was his own apartment or car. Instead it was guns and bullets, which he tried to get two people to buy for him while he was 17 and unable to obtain legally. Advertisement But on May 16, the gunman turned 18, and began purchasing firearms and ammunition, persuading an uncle to drive him to a gun store. He eventually spent more than $5,000 on two AR-style rifles, ammunition and other gear. And with no criminal history or even arrest, Ramos passed all background checks. He had earlier written online 10 more days, eliciting speculation from readers that he was planning to shoot up a school or something or commit mass murder. A friend told him that an acquaintance was telling everyone u shooting up the school. He also spent time playing the childrens videogame Roblox with his cousins son, a student at the Robb Elementary, and elicited from him details about his schedule and how lunch periods worked at the school. I got a lil secret, Ramos wrote on Snapchat to a German teenager he had befriended days before the May 24 shooting, adding that first he was waiting for something being delivered on Monday. His order of 1,740 hollow-point bullets that expand in bodies upon impact, more easily killing, arrived later that day. None of his online behavior was ever reported to law enforcement, the report said, and if it was reported by other users to any social media platform, it does not appear that actions were taken to restrict his access or to report him to authorities as a threat. Shortly before entering Robb Elementary, the gunman reached out to the German teenager he had befriended earlier, posting a message that he had just shot his grandmother in the face and was about to shoot up an elementary school. Advertisement Not sure he was serious, the German teenager replied: Cool. Condon reported from New York. AP reporter Jim Mustian in New York contributed to this report. BLOOMINGTON Illinois Wesleyan University is seizing the chance to highlight its students on a national scale as the "The College Tour" television show visits the campus this week. We knew it was a great opportunity; we wanted to make the most of it, said Andy Kreiss, the schools director of marketing. The series is carried on Amazon Prime, online at thecollegetour.com and as an individual app for phones and smart TVs. The show will feature 10 IWU students, talking about their experiences at the school. Alex Boylan, an "Amazing Race" winner and TV personality, is the executive producer and host. He was inspired to create the show after finances kept his niece from being able to visit all the colleges she was interested in, he said. That start for the show sets it apart from the other shows hes worked on. This really developed from a problem that we went through personally, Boylan said. He hopes it can also help improve access to higher education for students. Boylan himself attended Jacksonville University and describe it and IWU as a small university doing amazingly big things. The show has previously featured Illinois State University. Filming for that episode was earlier this spring and the episode is now available online. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was featured in the first season of the show. Students can apply to be one of the people interviewed for the show. "The College Tour" generally visits a school after the institution contacts the show. Boylan said that he works with staff from the college to craft the episode that works for them and highlights what makes the school unique. The show starts talking with the university about two months ahead of visiting, and then films on campus for a week, Boylan said. It then takes another two or three months before the episode is ready. Kreiss said that he was impressed with the collaboration between The College Tours team and the IWU team in creating the episode. The collaboration between us and them was joyful, he said. The students write the first drafts of what they say, Boylan said. Kreiss said that he and IWU Director of Communications Ann Aubry each took five students to write intros and outros for Boylan to say. We wanted to honor our students words and we wanted to shape the story of this great school, Kreiss said. NORMAL Drivers in Normal will soon be under surveillance from more than two dozen automatic license plate reader cameras. The Normal Town Council on Monday night approved a $83,550 agreement with Flock Safety, a Georgia-based safety technology company, to install 27 license plate cameras on the towns roadways to assist in minimizing threats and risk of harm to citizens and their property, according to the departments six-page policy signed by Police Chief Steve Petrilli. Council members who voted in support of the resolution noted the importance of having a department policy to supplement the towns contract with the company, especially to address concerns for privacy. The Flock contract is essentially just that its a contract granting an agreement to provide cameras that collect data, Petrilli said Tuesday. How we use that data is up to us. Thats why its important to have a policy in place to guide our staff on whats appropriate. The NPD policy was developed by using the Springfield Police Department license plate camera policy as a model because that department worked closely with local NAACP and American Civil Liberties Union groups to vet the policy during its development, Petrilli said. Normal police made the policy public about two weeks before the measure was brought to council and welcomed feedback, doing everything we could to be as transparent as possible, the chief said Tuesday During Mondays meeting, Trustee Chemberly Cummings said it was important for the Flock agreement and department policy to work hand in hand rather than separately. When youre dealing with data, its very important that you have policies in place. Not every community that employs this actually has a policy behind it; they only have the agreement in place, which does have gaps," she said. "The great thing about our staff is that the first thing that they knew we needed was a policy so that we could protect not only the town as an entity, but our residents also as well. Flocks approval in Normal came four months after the Bloomington City Council approved the system unanimously, having first faced pushback from residents and community groups raising privacy concerns. A representative from the Central Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union spoke during Normals public comments Monday, voicing concerns about third-party access to data collected from the license-plate recognition system. However, several council members said the NPD policy addressed those concerns, ensuring only internal law enforcement would have access to data and that data would be retained beyond 30 days only if it were flagged as part of an investigation. If it is not flagged during that time frame, the video will be deleted, Petrilli said. Trustee Stan Nord was the sole dissenting vote and questioned the lack of external oversight for the system. I appreciate the potential use and benefits of this technology. It could solve a lot of crimes, Im sure, but with the tools, also theres the ability for it to be misused, Nord said, adding that he wanted something beyond policy. Because with policies, youre relying on people to follow those policies. My understanding is the oversight, theres nobody outside the town thats going to oversee this; these are all internal policies that the departments going to be measuring. That Im not supportive of. Generally, yes, I trust our police, our law enforcement, but historically we can look and theres always bad apples. As part of the accountability portion of the departments policy for the cameras, Petrilli said there would be regular randomized reviews to ensure officers are using the system appropriately. The policy also indicates any person outside the department found to have gained unauthorized access to the system will be referred to the appropriate authorities for criminal prosecution, as necessary. Josh Thomas, Flocks vice president of communication who also spoke to the council during a work session last month, said the cameras collect aggregate data to help the systems algorithm better recognize details about vehicles such as the license plate number and the vehicle's color, make and model in various circumstances, like light conditions. Otherwise no one from the company will have access to data collected by Normals leased cameras unless authorized by Normal police. Camera data will not be used for traffic enforcement, fines, towing or immigration enforcement, but instead would be used only in major crime investigations such as abductions, assaults, arson, homicides, shootings, robberies and sexual assaults, Thomas previously said. Petrilli said Tuesday the system's primary function is focused on "violent crime and property crime, but there's also a community caretaking function," that can aid in missing person cases, AMBER alerts and Silver Alerts. More than 100 law enforcement agencies in Illinois use the Flock system, which Petrilli said could help NPD to coordinate with others across jurisdictions during investigations. A proposed map of camera locations was publicized by the town last week and indicated cameras would be placed in several heavy-traffic areas and areas close to schools, including three points along Veterans Parkway, four along College Avenue and four along Main Street. SPRINGFIELD Gov. J.B. Pritzker has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home, his office announced Tuesday, three days after he spoke at a gathering of Democrats in Tampa, Florida. Pritzkers press office said he is experiencing mild symptoms and has received the anti-viral medication Paxlovid, a drug that received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December for individuals at high risk to the effects of COVID-19. The drug, according to clinical trials, reduced by 89% the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. It is manufactured by Pfizer. Pritzker is also vaccinated against the virus and has received two booster shots, according to his office. The governor tested positive during routine testing after he arrived home from Florida, having had several close contacts with other COVID-19-positive individuals at the gathering of Democrats. Pritzkers office said he will work from home and follow the current U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which call for at least five days of isolation after the positive COVID-19 test, regardless of vaccination status. He urges all Illinoisans to continue following CDC guidance, utilize anti-viral treatments, and get all available boosters, his office said in a statement. The governors first positive test came more than two years into the pandemic which first led him to issue a disaster declaration in March 2020. It also came as the entire state was located in a high transmission COVID-19 area, and 50 counties were considered to have high COVID-19 community levels in Illinois. Community levels factor in hospital admissions and available hospital beds, as well as transmission rates. Another 44 Illinois counties were at medium community levels as of Friday, while eight counties were considered at low levels, according to CDC. Despite the rising transmission rates, mask mandates in Illinois and across the nation have largely been lifted. While the number of deaths and hospitalizations are well below pandemic highs, still 63 deaths were recorded in COVID-19-positive individuals in Illinois last week for an average of nine per day. As well, 1,412 individuals were hospitalized for COVID-19 in Illinois as of Monday night, with 152 of those individuals in intensive care unit beds and 48 on ventilators. About 84.8% of Illinoisans age 12 and older had received at least one vaccine dose as of Tuesday while 76.9 percent were fully vaccinated, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Hospitalizations numbers are well below pandemic highs of more than 7,000 in January, but they have been trending upward since April when they dipped below 500. The positive test also came after Pritzker announced recent changes to his COVID-19 executive orders which he has issued along with consecutive 30-day disaster declarations since March 2020. They loosened vaccine mandates for health care workers and eliminated them for higher education students and staff. Pritzker's positive test also comes amid a reelection campaign in which he faces state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, who has sharply criticized his pandemic response. The Pritzker campaign has touted his pandemic response, running advertisements with the tagline strong leadership in tough times. On Tuesday, Bailey posted to Twitter that he was praying for Pritzkers speedy recovery. In Florida, meanwhile, where the governor spoke over the weekend at the Leadership Blue gala of Florida Democrats, COVID-19 community levels were considered high in all but nine of the states 67 counties. At that gathering, Pritzker said Floridas Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis was Trump with a mask on, criticizing the leaders response to COVID-19. The Florida speaking engagement was one stop on a recent East Coast trip that included two days in Augusta, Maine, attending a series of meetings hosted by the National Governors Association. He also spent time at the White House early last week to celebrate the passage of bipartisan gun law reforms. The Florida speech and a recent speaking engagement in New Hampshire have in recent weeks led to speculation that Pritzker could be considering a run for president in 2024 if Joe Biden does not seek reelection. In recent interviews he has not denied interest, but he has said Illinois remains his focus. I'm not talking about running for president. I'm talking about running for governor, Pritzker told Capitol News Illinois late last month. I really do believe that, you know, I love this state. And I love the job that I have. I believe there's a lot more to get done. Bailey, meanwhile, has criticized Pritzkers trip out of state, calling out the governor for hobnobbing with wealthy liberals amid concerns about crime levels in Chicago. Tune in to leftists much? You might try E. J. Dionne of The Washington Post, a columnist who recently repeated the mantra that the abrupt fall of Roe v. Wade would endanger the lives of women and place a particular burden on the least privileged among us. Not really. Were going to have a contraceptive revolution that will give us all smiles. The Supreme Courts erasing of the 50-year embarrassment of Roe v. Wade could actually lead us to the most reliable and available contraceptives we have ever had. The use could be widespread like never before, as indicated by Wisp pharmacy that saw online sales of emergency contraceptives go up by 3,000 percent shortly after the ruling. We may say goodbye to unintended pregnancies and something else: Except in extreme circumstances, there may be no more killings of tens of millions of unborn babies with no control over their own bodies. The ruling did not say thats it, no more abortions anyplace. It democratically left the rules up to state legislatures, just as Roe v. Wade itself did in the case of fetuses that can live outside the womb. Not a few states have already been outlawing abortions they previously couldnt touch. Question: If a woman says she will absolutely not give birth if impregnated, how does she get past these new laws? Does she plot with doctors to break the law? Does she spend bunches of money to travel long distances to a legal exterminating clinic, a gloomy, expensive outing that is not going to work for everyone? How about preventing pregnancy? Will she quit having sex? Uh, doubtful. I therefore get back to my point: The best way to preserve sex without pregnancy are contraceptives not exactly new on the scene. They have been used for literally hundreds of years to keep the sperm away from the eggs. Men sometimes take on the responsibility with the only choice being condoms, which oftentimes work but not always. With endless side effects, women have far more options. The two favorites are pills of varied reliability and IUDs that can stay implanted for long periods and work beautifully. Among the problems are that, when sex takes place, the contraceptives are forgotten, sometimes they fail and there are those males and females who just take their chances. Acquiring contraceptives can also be difficult. But all of this and more is on its way to solutions, such as allowing over-the-counter sales, technical innovations and providing additional guidance. One shining example has been pregnancies declining as a result of educating teenage girls more on sex. Yes, there are people who object to contraception and other factors making sex into something it should not be. This is a cultural issue of the ages and the far distant future. A way to have the babies without being responsible for them later is adoption, and that can be joyous. At the moment, pills are beginning to serve as an easy way to have an abortion and we do not know where that is going. There is talk about the Supreme Court forbidding contraception, but the court majority has no such urge. The most disgusting elements in the post-Roe debate have been leftist protests with Jan. 6 imitators trying to intimidate justices. Democratic politicians are contriving to seriously damage our democratic republic, such as by refashioning the Supreme Court to suit their politics. What both left and right should fight are any laws that would prevent abortions in such extreme situations as the mothers life being in danger or failures to afford the mothers the care and attention they deserve. I have written more than once as part of my continuing WhistleBlowUSA Rebuild Popular Sovereign Self-Governance effort to publicly explain our suppressed national interactive fund-accounting-based public budgeting and auditing internal control (PBAIC) process. Popular self-governance is not an end in and of itself. It is a proven reliable when conscientiously applied tool for ensuring a steadily improving standard of living and quality of life for everybody. When I accidentally backed into doing fund accounting for a living, I discovered our suppressed PBAIC process. With a lot of high level establishment support and smart help, I rewrote the official book on it in 1980. But we have since allowed the excessive concentration of wealth and power. Indeed, we are experiencing a mostly still hidden ongoing authoritarian coup. Our leaders will not be able to properly apply fund accounting on our behalf, unless and until we the people, in our role as popular sovereign citizens, make them do it. Not one in ten of our present local government leaders even know what PBAIC is, although it has generally been legally required for nearly 100 years. Illinois has more local governments than any other state. Many are listed on the back of our yellow Voter ID Card. We should each write them and ask for an explanation of PBAIC and their compliance with it. If/when they ignore us, we must write again. As you certainly know, there is untapped civic power in the pen and in the keyboard. Dick Haas, Pontiac Boosting women's participation in the workforce and giving them more leadership opportunities would boost the economic potential of South Korea and the United States, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a group of women entrepreneurs in Seoul. Women represented a "huge untapped resource" for both the United States and South Korea, Yellen, the first woman to head the U.S. Treasury, told the women in remarks prepared for delivery during a lunch at a vegan restaurant in Seoul. The comments come as the Biden administration is fighting to salvage key parts of its domestic agenda, including a funding boost for child care and universal preschool aimed at increasing the participation of women in the workforce. President Joe Biden had hoped to pass major legislation that would have included such funding along with initiatives to combat climate change and raise taxes on big corporations, but has been stymied by the opposition of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, whose vote is critical in the evenly split Senate. Yellen told Reuters late on Monday that increasing access to paid leave and child care remained a priority for the Biden administration, adding: "We're not throwing in the towel on any of it." In her meetings, Yellen noted that South Korean women are among the most educated in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development countries but hold just 20% of management roles in South Korea. They are also more likely to be irregular workers and earn 31% less than men on average, the highest gap in the OECD, data from the organisation shows. The International Monetary Fund estimates that closing the gender gap in labour force participation could boost South Korea's real gross domestic product by 2035 by more than 7%. "Women should be given the ability to stay in the workforce," Yellen said, adding that many Korean women faced pressure to stay home and raise families. Women everywhere were also held back from rising to senior jobs in public service and the private sector - even in advanced economies such as the United States. A Treasury official said the conversation focused on the challenges of moving ahead in the tech sector while balancing careers and families, a theme echoed during a subsequent meeting Yellen held with women economists from the Bank of Korea. Jenna Lee, founder and chief executive of AIM, South Korea's first robo adviser, welcomed the chance to meet Yellen. "The challenges women face are much more pronounced in the finance and tech sector," she told Reuters. "We are fully aware of the fact that we are setting an example for the next generation to come." In her meeting with Bank of Korea economists, Yellen shared her own experiences in the male-dominated profession of economics, and said she was ultimately able to juggle both a family and career because she married a man who "strongly believed in a fair division of labor in our household". She said she had worked for years to expand the relatively low number of women who studied economics in the United States and pushed to increase the "disappointingly low" number of women in senior roles at the Federal Reserve when she was there. The economists presented Yellen with a plaque that said her legacy had inspired them to "learn more, do more, and become more". 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 The European Union will amend its sanctions on Moscow on Wednesday by allowing the unfreezing of some funds of top Russian banks that may be required to ease bottlenecks in the global trade of food and fertilisers, a draft document showed. The move comes amid criticism from African leaders about the negative impact of the sanctions on the trade, which may have exacerbated shortages chiefly caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its blockading of ports in the Black Sea. Under the changed regulation, which is expected to be adopted by EU envoys on Wednesday, EU nations will be able to unfreeze previously blocked economic resources owned by top Russian lenders VTB (VTBR.MM), Sovcombank, Novikombank, Otkritie FC Bank, VEB, Promsvyazbank and Bank Rossiya, the document said. Separately, under new sanctions to be adopted on Wednesday, Sberbank (SBER.MM), Russia's largest bank, will also become subject to the freezing of its assets, with the exception of resources needed for food trade, an EU official told Reuters. The draft document said money could be released "after having determined that such funds or economic resources are necessary for the purchase, import or transport of agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers". Under the revised sanctions, the EU also plans to facilitate exports of food from Russian ports, which traders had stopped servicing after EU sanctions despite the measures explicitly exempting food exports, an official said. read more The EU has so far denied its sanctions affected food trade. The EU, along with the United States, Britain and others, imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Russia calls its actions a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" Ukraine. Kyiv and the West say Moscow is waging an unprovoked war of aggression. 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 Absa Bank Ghana led the way at the 11th Marketing World Awards with five significant awards, in demonstration of the bank's leadership in marketing communications and CSR in the banking sector. The bank won the Advertising Campaign of the Year with its Africanacity commercial, Best CSR Support for Education (National Science & Maths Quiz) and Marketing Team of the Year. The bank's Director of Corporate Communications and External Relations, Nana Essilfuah Boison, was also awarded Marketing Thought-leader in Ghana and one of the Top 50 Marketing Leaders in Africa. The two awards highlight Essilfuah's credibility and achievements as a leading Senior Marketing and Corporate Communications Executive in the sub-region. The Marketing World Awards, held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, awarded several corporate organisations across the private and public sectors in Ghana in various categories. Commenting on the awards, Marketing and Corporate Relations Director at Absa Bank, Nana Essilfuah Boison said: "These are exciting times for Absa as a new brand in Ghana. Despite only two years of launching our new image, we have worked hard to entrench the brand in the minds of our customers, clients and key external stakeholders. We are determined to continue fashioning out unique ways to bring the possibilities of our customers to life. These awards are a signal to us to keep going without resting on our laurels. We dedicate these awards to the Absa Ghana Board, Country Management Committee (CMC), led by our Managing Director, Abena Osei-Poku, our employees and other stakeholders for their continuous support and loyalty." Absa Bank Ghana is currently the most profitable bank in Ghana with a Profit before tax (PBT) of GHS1.1 billion, the first time a bank in Ghana has recorded that figure in PBT. This was contained in the banks 2021 results which was published in March 2022. The financial performance demonstrated a concerted effort by the Bank to grow and maintain an efficient and resilient organisation, support its customers and clients while investing in relevant parts of the business to ensure sustainable growth. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Esther A. N. Cobbah, Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Communication Africa ( Stratcomm Africa) was recognized as Public Relations Personality, credited with stellar achievements in communications and for her contribution to the development of the profession in Africa at the 9th edition of As de la Communication (ASCOM) an annual African Communication event held in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. The event was attended by policymakers, industry giants and professionals in communication. ASCOM, a platform for exchange and sharing of skills in communication, brings together seasoned experts and personalities in the communication industry in Africa. The main objective of this annual event is to inject dynamism into the communication industry and encourage companies and institutions to make communication an important performance lever. Responding to the award, Ms. Cobbah remarked, There is no doubt about the value that communication has for Africas development. I am referring to a systematic, scientific and professional approach to communication which is vital for its effectiveness. It is satisfying to see that more and more attention is being paid to the value of communication in our various countries. She congratulated other award winners and hoped that we will continue to establish a network of professional communication excellence on the continent of Africa. Other award winners included Orange, Cote dIvoire for excellence in digital communication. Lifetime Achievement Award also went to Ms. Stephane Fouks of the Havas Group, Ms. Zenab Badawi, formerly of BBC World News and currently Managing Director of Kush Communications, and Mr. Paul-Emmanuel Reiffers, President and Founder of the Mazarine Group. Michel Russel Lohore, the brain behind ASCOM said, ASCOM honours companies, institutions and communities whose achievements are imprinted with resilience and bring hope for the future of our magnificent profession. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A view of the corner of 24th and State streets, the former site of Chicago's Ickes Homes public housing complex, shown in June. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Advertisement The Chicago Housing Authority board voted Tuesday to move forward with plans to lease part of the site of the former Ickes Homes public housing complex to the Chicago Board of Education for a proposed $120 million high school that would serve Chinatown, Bridgeport and South Loop teens. The approval came despite objections from community activists who said the land should be used for more public housing units. Advertisement CHA Chief Development Officer Ann McKenzie said the site proposed for the neighborhood school is half of the southernmost block that has been planned as the last phase of the new Southbridge development, a mix of affordable, market-rate and public housing units. CHA CEO Tracey Scott said details are still being worked out, but that the plot could fit both housing and a school. Were going to increase the density of the housing on part of that parcel, so we can still do what we need to do with housing on the parcel and still ultimately fit a school, Scott said. We dont have a final design on what that school would look like, but this proposal and the resolution thats before you is based on that concept, that we can still put our housing on the Ickes site. The resolution the CHA board approved directs Scott to submit applications to the federal government to lease the land and acquire two new sites. McKenzie noted Chicago Public Schools is still in the conceptual phase of the proposed Near South Side high school, but if the school is built, it would serve nearby CHA families and provide a meeting space for residents. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez promised more community engagement when he pulled the controversial school proposal ahead of last months Board of Education budget vote. Since then, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has appointed three new Board of Education members. One outgoing member, Dwayne Truss, suspects he was replaced because he called for more resident participation in the planning of the high school and opposed a bait-and-switch in terms of CHA land or other land that we did not own. Board of Education member Dwayne Truss listens on June 22, 2022, during a meeting at CPS headquarters. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) The 99-year lease to the Board of Education would cover a 1.7-acre area, bounded by 24th Street on the north, 25th Street on the south, Dearborn Street on the west and State Street on the east. In exchange, CPS would acquire and provide CHA with two nearby parcels on Wabash Avenue, which have been deemed pretty expensive. The broker handling the listing of the two properties which total about 2 acres said he fields about four inquiries a week, but hasnt been approached by representatives of the board or the city. Scott said she anticipates the Wabash properties may be used for market-rate homeownership. Advertisement Outside CHA headquarters Monday morning, community activists urged the city to meet its obligation of providing the replacement housing promised when the Ickes complex was demolished more than a decade ago. Ickes once had 740 units. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > The Southbridge development is expected to feature 877 units, including 244 for CHA families. When it comes to Chinatown, we think they should have whatever they need to have in their community. We believe that. But in our community we know we need housing, said Roderick Wilson, executive director of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center. Angela Lin co-founder of People Matter, which performs racial justice work said her group surveyed 100 community members from Chinatown, Pilsen and Bridgeport after last months Board of Education meeting. Lin said most of the participants were not aware of the high school proposal. Most of the people we surveyed said that they did not want a high school on the land of public housing because the housing should be for people who need housing, Lin said. So if a lot of the community members who are out here do not support this proposal, then I think that the city should reevaluate their decisions and listen to what the community members want. The school would be paid for with $50 million in state funding that has been re-appropriated a few times, and $70 million previously announced for a Near West Side high school that was never built. Advertisement Critics say CPS should focus on improving high schools in the area such as Dunbar Vocational Career Academy in the South Commons neighborhood and Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Bronzeville. Years ago the district proposed converting the National Teachers Academy elementary school in the South Loop into a high school, but CPS dropped the plan after activists waged a court battle. tswartz@tribpub.com The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh-Danquah, is leading a high-powereddelegation to attend a meeting of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of National Oil Companies (NOCs) of African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) in Abuja, Nigeria. The African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO) is an intergovernmental energy organization created to serve as a platform for African petroleum producing countries to cooperate, collaborate, and share knowledge and competences, with a view to maximizing the developmental and welfare benefits accruable from petroleum exploitation activities in its member countries. APPO currently has sixteen (16) member countries which includes Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Cote dIvoire, Egypt, and Gabon. The rest are Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana. It will be recalled that Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah took over as the Chief Executive Officer of GNPC about three months ago and is fervently seeking strategic partnerships to reposition the Corporation considering the global energy transition. His vision is to leverage on the competencies of GNPC into becoming a strategic partner in the paradigm shift from fossil fuels to renewables. Commenting on his expectations prior to his departure, Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah saidthe time has come for policy makers and operators to work in harmony to find a solution to the threat posed by the energy transition. At a time when traditional financiers of oil and gas are threatening to discontinue, do we leave all natural deposits untapped?, he asked. He added that GNPCiscontinuously looking for strategic partnersin financing Ghanas oil and gas projectsand is seeking forinvestors who will commit greatly to research and financing renewable energy projects in the country. Speaking specifically about the conference, Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah noted that the seriousness of the energy transition calls for a complete rethink of the oil and gas industrys operational model in Africa. He stated that for Africa to maximise returns from our fossil fuel, it behoves on us to collaborate in cross border oil and gas projects, the development of cross border oil and gas infrastructure and the creation of regional energy markets. I believe this begins with the commitment of the CEOs of all the NOCs and thus the significance of this conference. Theconference is being hosted by the CEO of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari and the keynote address will be given by Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, the Secretary General of the APPO. 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 President Akufo-Addo on Monday inducted into office ten new Justices of the High Court, charging them to dispense justice without fear or favour, affection or ill will. The Justices included Ebenezer Osei-Darko, Bernard Bentil, Alexander Graham, and Mercy Adei Kotei, who were all elevated from the Circuit Courts. The rest are Mr. George Kwame Gyan-Kontoh, Mr. Richard Apietu, Mr. Eric Ansah Ankomah, Mrs. Cynthia Martinson, Dr. Mrs. Bridget Kafui Antonio-Apedzi and Ms. Nabeela Naeema Wahab, all of whom join the bench from private practice. At a short ceremony at the Jubilee House, Accra, President Akufo-Addo congratulated them on their well-deserved appointment and enforced the need for them to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and sound knowledge of the law to gain the confidence of the people. He urged them to eschew all forms and temptations of corruption throughout their journey as judges of the Superior Court of Judicature because a corrupt or incompetent judge is a danger to the public interest and judicial administration. The President reminded the justices that the high court was the focal point for justice delivery in the country, adding that much of judicial work begins and ends there. It is therefore critical for the growth of the nation that the High Court commands the respect of the people by the quality of its judgements as well as the comportment of its judges, he stated. President Akufo-Addo admonished the judges to avoid proffering judgements on the basis of decisions from lower courts and to employ the time-honoured common law tradition of precedence as the foundation for the coherent development of the law. You must be learned, know your case law, and ensure your decisions and judgements are properly motivated, he said. The President reinforced the fact that the dispensation of justice required that the application of the laws of the land must occur without fear or favour, affection or ill will, and without recourse to political, ethnic or religious affiliations. When a citizen falls foul of the law, that citizen, high or low, must be dealt with accordingly, and the law enforcement agencies including you our new judges must ensure this is done . . . that is the true meaning of the concept of equality before the law. President Akufo-Addo also encouraged the judges to leverage technology to expedite the conduct of cases that came before them and in the management of the Courts. He emphasized that the transparent and efficient delivery of justice builds confidence in citizens, businesses and the investor community. The Government, the President told the Judges, had taken note of the inadequate numbers of courts in various parts of the country, resulting in citizens travelling long distances to gain access to courts, and had decided to remedy this situation. To that end, 60 district courts, 60 bungalows for judges, and three new high courts for three of the six newly created regions would be commissioned before the start of the legal year in October. Additionally, Government, through the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, is constructing 100 new courts and bungalows for Judges in all 16 Regions of the country. Justice Mercy Adei Kotei who spoke for her colleague justices expressed gratitude to the President for the confidence reposed in them and pledged that they would work to justify their elevation. We promise to remain true to our oaths and to discharge our duties with diligence, she 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 DANIEL ASIEDU, aka Sexy Don Don, the prime suspect in the murder of the then Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, the late JB Danquah-Adu, has admitted to stabbing the late MP during a confrontation when he went to his Shiashie residence with the intention to rob. The accused, who is standing trial over the murder of the late MP, in a startling admission demonstrated how he went into the late MPs bedroom through his window in a robbery that led to the death of the MP. The admission is contained in a video recorded during the interrogation of the accused as well as videos of a reconstruction of the crime scene in the late MPs house, and were admitted by an Accra High Court where the accused is standing trial for murder. The court prior to admitting the pendrive containing the videos heard how Daniel Asiedu admitted that the catapult and metal cutter found in the late MPs bedroom were his (accused) and his admission that he uses the catapult in driving away dogs when he enters a house to commit a crime while the metal cutter is used in cutting burglar proof in case he meets a window that is burglar-proofed. According to the first accused person (Asiedu), he did not use them because there were no dogs in the house and the windows were not having burglar-proof, so after the commission of the crime he left them in the room of the deceased, Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah, the case investigator told the court yesterday. The video which was played prior to its admission showed Daniel Asiedu demonstrating to police investigators how he squeezed himself through a metal fence into the house. He told them that the security man on duty was sleeping when he entered the house. He told the investigators that he did not know the personality of the late MP prior to robbing him and only chose his room out of the lot in the house because it was the only one that had light turned on when he entered the house. He indicated that the glass window leading to the late MPs room was not locked so he slid it open and entered the room, sneaked himself behind a chair and went to the bedside drawer where he picked two phones and just when he was about to leave the room the late MP woke up to turn off a television and spotted him. He said the late MP shouted thief, thief, thief. He said the MP held his (accuseds) shirt around the neck firmly, and he struggled with the MP. It was during the struggle that Asiedu said he stabbed the late MP with a jack knife which weakened him, and he sat on the floor beside the bed and could not scream for help. Daniel Asiedu told investigators that he continued to search the room for valuables while the late MP sat helplessly and watched him do the searching. The accused during the reconstruction of the crime scene visibly broke down, went on his knees, placed his elbows on the late MP s bed and said a prayer after which he made a sign of the cross before he continued the demonstration. The tendering of the video was objected to by Yaw Dankwa, counsel for the accused person, who argued that the accused was under duress and at all material time was in handcuff, tortured and deprived of sleep and also did not have a lawyer present when the videos were shot. This was opposed by Sefakor Batse, a Principal State Attorney who said the accused was relaxed throughout the interrogation and the cuts on the accused was a result of struggling with the late MP while the one on his face was as a result of putting his head through a metal fence with thorns around it. Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, admitted the video and said the weight to be placed on it is subject to the cross-examination of counsel for the accused person. 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 A Russian court has fined Google 21 billion rubles ($360 million) for failing to remove content concerning Russias military intervention in Ukraine, the nations telecommunications regulator has revealed. The Moscow court said the Google-owned video platform YouTube had failed to block false information on the offensive in Ukraine, extremist and terrorist propaganda and content calling on minors to participate in unauthorised demonstrations. The regulator, Roskomnadzor said that as this was a repeat conviction for Google hence the huge fine. Russian authorities have increased pressure on Western social media firms in recent years with repeated fines and threats in a bid to remove criticism from the internet, the only source of free speech in Russia. Like most of its Western rivals, Google recently quit the Russian market in protest against Russias military intervention in Ukraine. According to Vladimir Zykov, an expert cited by Russian news agency Ria-Novosti, the fine is the largest ever imposed on a Western tech firm by a Russian court. Russian authorities can impose on Google as many fines as they wish, they wont receive the money as the firm has pulled out of the country, he said. Russia's internet regulator, Roskomnadzor branded the activities of Google and YouTube with the terrorist label in March, opening up the possibility they would be blocked in Russia, as have Twitter, Instagram and many independent media following the start of the military operation. In Russia, the legal penalties for speaking out against the conflict has been increased with thise found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian military facing up to 15 years in jail. Several journalists, some politicians and citizens have already been jailed on such charges. 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 Director of Elections for the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), Mr Evans Nimako, has disclosed that the exemption of delegates drawn from the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) from partaking in the voting process of the National Delegates Conference was not deliberate. Apologizing to the group, he explained that events happened on the blind side of the party and had they received prior notification, the party would not have even allowed them to travel from their various campuses to attend the congress. Injunction TESCON proxy voters numbering about 291 members were barred from casting their vote in the 2022 NPP National Delegates Conference. This is as a result of an injunction served on the party. This was made known to the delegates on Saturday by the Chairman of the NPP's Election Committee, Peter Mac Manu. Throwing light on the issue, Mac Manu revealed that the injunction barring TESCON proxy voters was received on Friday night, the eve of the conference. Our TESCON delegates and local proxy voters numbering 15 and 291 will not be able to cast their votes because there is an injunction. We received the injunction last night, he said. Internal Dispute Mechanism Speaking on Okay FM's Ade Akye Abia programme, he explained that the party had its internal mechanisms to resolve such issues and that the aggrieved person who went to court for such an order should have employed and exhausted party mechanisms first, even before resorting to the court for an injunction. "It is rather unfortunate things turn out the way it did at the congress grounds, it was no body's intention for such action to take place and it wasn't intended for anybody to lose votes as others are saying," he added. Mr. Nimako therefore rendered an unqualified apology to all TESCON members and gave the assurance that such occurrence will not happen again as the party is taking steps to have such issues resolved. Watch video below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former President John Dramani Mahama has called for room to be made for Ghanaians who are yet to be served and enrolled on to the Ghana Card until full and total coverage is achieved in the rollout of the card. This, he said, would enable them to exercise their democratic rights of voting. "They cannot be excluded from the voter register due to no fault of theirs. This should be clear and quite easy to appreciate," Mr. Mahama stated in his remarks delivered at the closing ceremony of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority Caucus Workshop in Ho. The workshop was organized to sharpen the skills and boost the NDC Minority Caucus' repertoire of knowledge as parliamentarians. He noted that the Electoral Commission (EC) appears determined to ensure the disenfranchisement of sections of the Ghanaian population at all costs through a misguided insistence on the use of the Ghana Card as the only source of identification for a voter card. "How do you do this, knowing that the Ghana Card is not available to everyone who should have one?" Mr. Mahama quizzed. "The Ghana Card is a relatively new feature of our national life and has its merits in the scheme of things," he said, and added that, "now, it is being brandished more as a political tool around which all manner of schemes is being fashioned towards elections." The former President said there was the need to allow sufficient time for its full integration into the Ghanaians' way of life before this kind of unhelpful exclusion of all other legitimately acquired, credible and time-tested forms of identification was implemented. He said the National Identification Authority (NIA) could not claim to have covered every Ghanaian who should be registered or distributed all the cards printed to those who had been captured in their system. "They have failed to distribute hundreds of thousands of cards to people who have registered," Mr Mahama said. "The haste on the part of the Electoral Commission to exclude all other means of identification is therefore clearly indecent and informed by an ulterior objective." He recalled that last week, the Minority Caucus in Parliament raised red flags over suspected attempts to compile a new register on the sole basis of the Ghana Card. He said the EC had been quick to deny that it harbours any such intentions. He said until the advent of the current leadership of the Commission, this denial would have marked the end of the matter. "The Commission in its present guise is known to have walked back on similar commitments in the recent past, and so we in the NDC will maintain eternal vigilance to ensure that no such thing happens," Mr Mahama said. He noted that the process of continuous registration as canvassed by the EC must necessarily include a system that enables all political parties and relevant stakeholders to possess the capacity to monitor same in real time, to avoid fraud and exploitation to the undue advantage of any party. "We in the NDC will insist on this," the former President 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 The scramble for the chairmanship position of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) appears to have commenced as the incumbent chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo has justified the reason to be given another term. This same position is being eyed by the current General Secretary of the party, John Asiedu Nketia who will be completing his fourth term as chief scribe of the party in the coming months. However, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo believes he has over performed to be maintained going into the partys national executive officers election. Speaking on 3FM on Monday July 18, 2022, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo said that he and the current national executives of the NDC have shown so much potential to wrest power for NDC after they had led the party in opposition to come from a parliamentary deficit of 31 seats. According to him, Myself and my other executives were entrusted with this party in 2018 at the time we had gone into election in 2016 and lost by over one million votes. We lost by over fifty three seats in parliament and then we worked very hard within that short period and improved our votes by over two million votes. We were able to increase our parliamentary seats from 106 to 137. He was of the view that the NDC would have been in government by now and won additional five seats but because the military were used to interfere and influence the counting of the election results at some coalition centers. The incumbent chairman applauded himself for setting record for the first time in Ghanas political history, under his leadership, Ghana has a hung parliament and for the first time under the Fourth Republic, the opposition party has produced a Speaker of Parliament. There is a lot that we can pride ourselves in, we have brought unity in the party, there is cohesion in the party and even the death of the founder of the party could not prevent us from performing the way we have performed, he mentioned. He was of the view that the NDC is well set for victory in 2024, saying that his administration is ready to recapture power for the NDC. And I believe that I can continue to provide that leadership, he stressed. 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 National Organiser of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Akamba, has answered some questions pertaining to John Boadu losing the General Secretary position. According to him, John Boadus surprising defeat was due to his posture within his party. He told NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie', in an interview that, the widely known John Boadu was a ghost in his party. He was only popular on social media and in the media, he said explaining that, he had no connection with the grassroot members of the party. Adding that, he was arrogant within the party. NPP held its National Delegates Conference last weekend to elect national officers for the next four years as it looks forward to breaking the 8-year power cycle jinx in Ghanas politics. One position which was of keen interest to many was the General Secretary position, which was highly contested between the then incumbent, John Boadu and eventual winner, Justin Frimpong Kodua. Justin Frimpong Kodua aka JFK gave John Boadu a good contest and eventually emerged as a winner. John Boadu before the election had overwhelming support from some regional Chairmen which gave him the confidence of a victory but the majority of the delegates already had their plans of voting him out. However, Joshua Hamidu Akamba claims the support of the regional Chairmen led by the Ashanti regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi was a wrong move. The Chairmen were even arrogant when declaring their support for him, you cannot tell the delegates what to do. They are the kingmakers, he added. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Actress Akuapem Poloo is undoubtedly one of the biggest fans of American rapper Cardi B. No wonder she went crazy when they first met in Ghana back in December 2019. Poloo's friendly gesture earned her a secure spot in the rapper's heart. Akuapem Poloo on Sunday took to her Instagram page to promote Cardi B's latest single 'Hot Shit' which features Kanye West and Lil Durk. Her post read: "I love Cardi B. Bardi #HOTSH*T." In no time, Cardi, who Poloo describes as her 'Spirit Twin' reacted to the post with heart emojis. The two have maintained a friendly relationship on social media, with the American superstar offering her financial support. Back in 2021, the Ghanaian actress revealed that Cardi sent her $30,000 during her court case involving the publication of obscene material about herself and her son. Cardi supported me, she gave me $30,000.00 which I used during my court case and advised me all the time, she said. Soon after Cardi's reaction to her post, Poloo pinned and screenshotted the comment to prove that their friendship is still growing strong. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rosemond Alade Brown (@akuapem_poloo) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rosemond Alade Brown (@akuapem_poloo) Source: instagram/ghanaweb 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 Artists Impression of Antares. Credit: M. Kornmesser / ESO Stars don't usually evolve fast enough for humans to notice them change within one lifetime. Even a hundred lifetimes won't doastronomical processes are just too slow. But not always. There are some phases of stellar evolution that happen quickly, and when they do, they can be tracked. A new paper posted to ArXiv last week uses astronomical observations found in ancient Roman texts, medieval astronomical logs, and manuscripts from China's Han Dynasty to trace the recent evolution of several bright stars, including red supergiant Antares, and Betelgeuse: one of the most dynamic stars in our sky. With observations from across the historical record, the paper suggests that Betelgeuse may have just recently passed through the Hertzsprung gap, the transitional phase between a main sequence star and its current classification as a red supergiant. If you were to survey all the stars in the night sky for their color and luminosity, you would see that most stars fall within a distinct pattern known as the main sequence (the hydrogen-burning phase of a star's life), with a smaller number of stars falling within a second category of giants (dying stars that have used up all the hydrogen in their cores). Surveying stars this way and plotting them on a graph is called a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, and it is a useful tool for understanding stellar evolution. One of the key features of the diagram is a distinct gap between the main sequence and giant stars, known as the Hertzsprung gap. This gap doesn't really mean that stars don't exist within that gapbut rather that stars don't stay there very long. It is a transitional phase, which can be crossed in a few thousand years, meaning that catching a star in the middle of the phase is rarehence the gap in the diagram. With luck, this short-lived transitional phase could theoretically be observed within humanity's written historical record, for any number of stars. The key candidates for such a study are bright, nearby red supergiant stars visible to the naked eyemeaning they could have been observed and studied before modern telescopic lenses. Some ideal examples include Antares, a variable red supergiant in the constellation of Scorpius, and Betelgeuse (the right shoulder of Orion), a roughly 10-million-year-old star that is no longer burning hydrogen in its core. Nearing the end of its life, Betelgeuse is expected to explode in a dramatic supernova sometime in the next 100,000 years (astronomically speaking, that is not very long). Most of our knowledge about these stars comes from modern observations. However, modern remote sensing techniques are not perfect, and it is valuable to have multiple redundant methodologies for calculating phases of stellar evolution. The historical record can therefore help corroborate, or constrain, the predictions of modern astrophysics. A Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, with the Hertzsprung gap between main sequence stars and red giants. This gap indicates a life stage of stars that doesnt last long, making observations of stars with that luminosity and color rare. Credit: Richard Powell (Wikimedia Commons) The historical evidence: Betelgeuse in transition, and an unchanging Antares A key marker of the transition across the Hertzsprung gap is a change in color toward the reddish end of the spectrum. As such, historical descriptions of Betelgeuse or Antares denoting anything other than red would hint at a recent transition. You might be inclined to dismiss historical texts as potentially misleading or inaccuratebesides, a vague description of a star as 'reddish' isn't very scientifically helpful by today's standards. But the real value of historical documents occurs when ancient writers make comparisons between distinct astronomical objects: Betelgeuse to Saturn, or Antares to Mars, for example. Those kinds of statements give us a much more measurable, if still approximate, dataset to work with, because we can make the same comparisons in today's sky with modern equipment. This is exactly the kind of data the paper's authors, led by Ralph Neuhauser (AIU Jena), were able to find. Digging into a variety of historical records, they uncovered several early descriptions of bright supergiants like Betelgeuse and Antares. One of the key sources for Betelgeuse was "De Astronomica," a Roman text attributed to Gaius Julius Hyginus (64 BC-AD 17), the keeper of the Palatine library during the reign of Augustus Caesar. "De Astronomica" states, in a literal translation, that "The sun's starbody is large [i.e. bright], and color/coloration fiery/burning; similar to that star which is in the right shoulder of Orion [i.e. Betelgeuse]Many have said that this star is [the star] of Saturn." As an aside, the tradition of calling Saturn "the sun's star," as Hyginus does, can be traced as far back as early Babylonian texts, and may have originated because Saturn's movement in the sky is the steadiest of all the planets, and its synodic period (its apparent movement in the sky) closely matches the length of the solar year. Hyginus describes Betelgeuse's color as Saturn-like, which is distinctly not red (Mars would be the obvious comparison for a red star). This suggests that nearly two thousand years ago, Betelgeuse may not yet have entered its current life stage as a red supergiant. A second Roman source from a century later, the Almagest, lists the brightest red stars in the skyincluding Antaresbut Betelgeuse is conspicuously missing from the list. Meanwhile, across the globe, Sima Qian (BC 14587), a "Senior Archivist" in the Western Chinese Han Dynasty, wrote a treatise on celestial bodies called the Tianguan shu. In this manuscript, Sima Qian describes Betelgeuse as yellow, while Antares was red. This corroborating account from an entirely different culture strengthens the case for a color shift in Betelgeuse during the last 2,000 years. An illustrated page of De Astronomica, showing Betelgeuse on the right shoulder of Orion (red dots indicate constellation stars). Credit: Bavarian State Library, World Digital Library Nearly 1,000 years later, Ibn Qutayba (AD 828889), an Islamic scholar of the Abbasid Caliphate, described Betegeuse as reddish, as did Astronomer Tycho Brahe (AD 15461601) a few centuries later still. Oral tradition from Indigenous Hawaiians also describes Betelgeuse as red. These three examples clearly characterize the star differently from their more ancient peers, and more in line with modern observations. Over the course of recorded history, if these accounts are to be believed, Antares appears to have remained consistently bright red, which Betelgeuse has transitioned from yellow to red. Drawing conclusions: the challenges of historical astronomy Combining history with astronomy can provide valuable insights into the recent (astronomically speaking) evolution of the night sky, but it isn't a perfect science and must be done carefully. One of the challenges of this methodology is the difficulty in accurately dating ancient texts. Most ancient manuscripts don't survive in the original, but rather as copies transcribed over the centuries in monasteries, libraries, and scriptoriums. As such, the exact dates can be uncertain, and works can be attributed to authors incorrectly. There is a chance, for example, that "De Astronomica" is falsely attributed to Hyginus, and is actually a 2nd-century document, not a 1st, because it seems to borrow some of its structure from the 2nd-century Almagest. The good news is, on astronomical scales, a century or two, give or take, doesn't matter much. A second thing that might trip up modern researchers involves the cultural influences that shape the language of ancient authors. The Tianguan Shu, for example, groups star colors into five categories: red, blue, yellow, black and white. These colors don't actually match visual descriptions ("black" stars don't make much sense literally, though it could mean "dim" or "dark"). Instead, the five colors come from Chinese Wuxing philosophy, in which the colors align with five elements (Earth, Wood, Metal, Fire, and Water) that underscore cyclical changes in nature, politics, and human physiology. Wuxing color groupings are not reliable markers of objective observational hues. Nonetheless, they represent distinct categories that can be used for comparisonred stars are clearly different from blue stars, for example. This means that Betelgeuse's placement in a different category from Antares probably reflects a real observed difference, even if the exact hue of each category is unknown. Comparing ancient text to modern observations: what do we know? Modern estimates suggest that Betelgeuse has been in the red supergiant phase of its life cycle for at least a few thousand years, and could have been for as long as 140,000 years (best estimates put it at about 40,000 years). The historical data suggests the truth might lie in the more recent end of that range. While it isn't conclusive evidence, the historical record shouldn't be lightly discarded either. After all, modern astronomical knowledge, to paraphrase Isaac Newton, "stands on the shoulders of giants:" our current understanding is only possible because of the insights made by generations before us. From the writings and oral histories they left behind, our ancestors may have something to teach us yet. Explore further Study of data from weather satellite confirms theories surrounding the dimming of Betelgeuse in 2019 More information: Ralph Neuhauser et al, Colour evolution of Betelgeuse and Antares over two millennia, derived from historical records, as a new constraint on mass and age. arXiv:2207.04702v1 [astro-ph.SR], Ralph Neuhauser et al, Colour evolution of Betelgeuse and Antares over two millennia, derived from historical records, as a new constraint on mass and age. arXiv:2207.04702v1 [astro-ph.SR], arxiv.org/abs/2207.04702 Dr. Maurice Brownlee gives a fist-bump after administering a monkeypox vaccine to patient Jason Hendrix at Northstar Healthcare Medical Center in Chicago on July 18, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Chicago public health officials reported 173 monkeypox cases on Monday up from 105 last week and with vaccines scarce and hard to find, alarm is growing among doctors and those in the gay community that the city is not doing enough to address the spread. Health officials are imploring the city to do more by increasing not only resources such as contact tracing, but also public awareness and education. Some in the gay community feel that the lack of public concern about the virus is because its mostly affecting men who have sex with other men, but health officials warn there is nothing to stop the virus from spreading to the entire population. Advertisement It doesnt care if youre gay or not, said Dr. Aniruddha Hazra, an infectious disease physician at LGBTQ-focused Howard Brown Health Center and the University of Chicago Medicine. We have the tools to stop this from moving to other populations. Nine Chicagoans have been hospitalized because of the illness, Chicago Department of Public Health spokesperson Andrew Buchanan said Monday. The city has received over 5,400 doses of the vaccine and expects another 15,000 doses in coming days, he said. The federal government has ordered millions of doses. Advertisement He said the citys vaccination effort is focused on people with the highest risk of exposure, which includes gay men, bisexual men and other men who have sex with men at venues, with multiple or anonymous partners, or for money. People who think they qualify for the vaccine should contact their health care provider, Buchanan said. Please be patient. There is not currently enough vaccine for all those who qualify to receive a dose, but we will expand where the vaccine is available as we receive additional doses, he said. Dr. Maurice Brownlee prepares to administer a monkeypox vaccine to a patient at Northstar Healthcare Medical Center in Chicago on July 18, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) The list of patients requesting monkeypox vaccines from Northstar Healthcare Medical Center has grown to 240 names, medical director Dr. Daniel Berger said. But the gay-focused primary care site Berger founded could only give 25 vaccination appointments on Monday. Its not enough, he said. The response to the generally nonfatal but serious viral illness reminds the HIV specialist of the early days of the AIDS epidemic. He said he doesnt think theres enough information about the virus being shared. I dont see there being a concerted effort from the city or the government in terms of getting that word out there, Berger said. Brian Gee, 36, of Garfield Park, said he couldnt find any clear information from the city on where to get a shot, so he turned to Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for help. Everything that Im seeing in terms of awareness and knowledge about vaccinations themselves are happening through word-of-mouth, said Gee, who was able to get his shot at Howard Brown last Wednesday. After weathering the nightmare of trying to get info, Gee said he worries that people who live outside of gay neighborhoods like Northalsted, previously known as Boystown, will have a harder time learning about the virus and how to take care of themselves. He said more people need to know how disruptive, painful and dangerous a monkeypox infection can be. Advertisement Shaun Kimbrow, 32, said he searched hard for a week to find a vaccination appointment before also securing a slot at Howard Brown last Wednesday. With his appointment secure, he texted friends to sign up at the clinic. Only some were successful. Others locked down inoculations at Northstar. Its kind of like the wild, wild West right now when it comes to vaccination, Kimbrow said. He said everything hes learned about monkeypox has come from friends and social media. Hes worried that there will be a more widespread outbreak if the monkeypox response doesnt ramp up and fears that minority and less wealthy communities will be disproportionately affected by the virus. I just desperately want all the health officials to be more aggressive about it, Kimbrow said. Christopher Balthazar, executive director of TaskForce Prevention and Community Services, said the city has targeted communities of color in its vaccination efforts. The West Side organization provides health and social services to LGBTQ youth of color and has vaccinated 216 people for monkeypox so far. TaskForce will continue to host vaccination clinics twice a week. Advertisement But he said the people it serves are often unaware of monkeypox and theyre working to teach people about the virus. Letty Arreola, 27, prepares a monkeypox vaccine at the Silver Room Block Party near Burnham Park on July 17, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) They need to get loud about this, Balthazar said. Rogers Park Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, is trying to amp up public awareness. Shes planned a virtual town hall on monkeypox on her Facebook page with Howard Brown on Thursday and she wants the CDPH to start holding monkeypox briefings at the City Council. Theyre sharing information, as much as they have. Theres not a lot of information available, Hadden said. She, like many in the gay community, has sought monkeypox information independently, even looking to health experts on TikTok. When monkeypox was first reported in the United States in late May, Hadden asked the citys public health department and Howard Brown to prep information about the virus. She printed flyers and put them up in stores that cater to the gay community, hoping to curb any spread that could have happened during the International Mr. Leather conference, which brought thousands of men who have sex with men to Chicago in late May, she said. The city reported its first monkeypox case on June 2, but officials havent said it was related to the conference. Ten days later, the city reported seven cases. Advertisement Haddens worried that the city, state and country arent doing enough to prepare for the spreading virus and wonders if CDPH has the capacity to respond as it continues to grapple with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [ COVID rises across U.S. amid muted warnings and murky data ] This is going to be a very unique challenge if it continues to be the rapidly growing threat that it is, Hadden said. The monkeypox vaccine, which also treats smallpox, includes two shots spaced four weeks apart and provides strong immunity two weeks after its second dose, said Berger, from Northstar Healthcare Medical Center. He thinks Chicago needs thousands more doses to inoculate those most at risk. I believe everyone in our community should be vaccinated. This is just the beginning, Berger said. He wants local health officials to do a better job of telling people with common signs of monkeypox, including lesions and flu-like symptoms, to stay home and quarantine. One Chicago man recovering from monkeypox told the Tribune that he sought medical help after finding small, firm bumps on his penis. The bumps first appeared to him and a practitioner to be another kind of rash, but when they became inflamed and began to weep, he went back to get tested for monkeypox. The bumps spread to his arms, neck and forehead. A week later, the test came back positive. Advertisement I think that has to be more widespread than it seems, said the man, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not openly bisexual. The diseases rarity and current association with the gay community can make it stigmatizing, he said. Because he works remotely, he was able to isolate at home as his painful blisters festered. It would be hard if you had to go to work or you had to explain why you couldnt go to work, he said. Another man told the Tribune he first feared he might have monkeypox when intense rectal pain lingered after a chlamydia diagnosis. Doctors tested him for monkeypox and the probe came back positive. He said hes suffering from constipation and discharging blisters. He had already received one dose of the monkeypox vaccine. This is a profoundly unpleasant experience. The symptoms are very awful, said the man, who requested anonymity because of the stigma associated with the virus. He took a day off from work because of the debilitating pain. I cannot imagine how this would be if I had the pox all over my body, he said. Advertisement Buchanan, from the citys public health department, said that its contact tracing capacity allows it to investigate all reported monkeypox cases, but identifying all contacts for positive individuals has been challenging. Contact tracing conducted by public health along with public awareness about prevention and post-exposure recommendations are fundamentally important in controlling the MPV outbreak, he said. Letty Arreola, 27, gives Cory Hawkins, 35, a monkeypox vaccine at the Silver Room Block Party near Burnham Park on July 17, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) He said the amount of testing available for monkeypox exceeds what is currently needed and it will grow as more laboratories start to conduct the test, he added. Monkeypox is a virus related to smallpox that was first detected in humans in 1970 and is endemic to parts of west and central Africa. A past American outbreak occurred in Illinois in 2003, which was linked to prairie dogs and infected 71 people across the Midwest. The viral illness typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes before progressing to distinct, large rashes on the face and body that look like pimples or blisters. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks. Monkeypox is generally passed on through close physical contact with the scab or bodily fluids of someone with the virus, as well as contact with objects theyve touched. Spread could occur through normal acts like sharing a towel or having intimate sexual contact. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox cannot be spread by people who dont have symptoms. Advertisement Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > The CDC reported 1,814 cases in the United States as of Friday. The current outbreak is severe in parts of western Europe. Cases have been reported across the globe. Hazra, of Howard Brown, encouraged people about to make intimate physical contact to check for lesions and to have open and honest discussions with their partners. He said there isnt enough testing happening to tell how widespread the virus is or stop its spread. The city also needs more contact tracers, who could take advantage of the viruss one- to two-week-long incubation period to effectively isolate people exposed, he added. There definitely is a need to increase the workforce around this, Hazra said. Find more information on the Chicago Department of Public Healths monkeypox facts page. More information can also be found at the Chicago Health Alert Networks monkeypox page. jsheridan@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter: @jakesheridan_ Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Shockwaves caused by asteroids colliding with Earth create materials with a range of complex carbon structures, which could be used for advancing future engineering applications, according to an international study led by UCL and Hungarian scientists. Published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team of researchers has found that diamonds formed during a high-energy shock wave from an asteroid collision around 50,000 years ago have unique and exceptional properties, caused by the short-term high temperatures and extreme pressure. The researchers say that these structures can be targeted for advanced mechanical and electronic applications, giving us the ability to design materials that are not only ultra-hard but also malleable with tunable electronic properties. For the study, scientists from the UK, US, Hungary, Italy and France used detailed state-of-the-art crystallographic and spectroscopic examinations of the mineral lonsdaleite from the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite first found in 1891 in the Arizona desert. Named after the pioneering British crystallographer Professor Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, the first female professor at UCL, lonsdaleite was previously thought to consist of pure hexagonal diamond, distinguishing it from the classic cubic diamond. However, the team found that it is in fact comprised of nanostructured diamond and graphene-like intergrowths (where two minerals in a crystal grow together) called diaphites. The team also identified stacking faults, or "errors" in the sequences of the repeating patterns of layers of atoms. Lead author Dr. Peter Nemeth (Institute for Geological and Geochemical Research, RCAES) said, "Through the recognition of the various intergrowth types between graphene and diamond structures, we can get closer to understanding the pressure-temperature conditions that occur during asteroid impacts." The team found that the distance between the graphene layers is unusual due to the unique environments of carbon atoms occurring at the interface between diamond and graphene. They also demonstrated that the diaphite structure is responsible for a previously unexplained spectroscopic feature. Study co-author Professor Chris Howard (UCL Physics & Astronomy) said, "This is very exciting since we can now detect diaphite structures in diamond using a simple spectroscopic technique without the need for expensive and laborious electron microscopy." According to the scientists, the structural units and the complexity reported in the lonsdaleite samples can occur in a wide range of other carbonaceous materials produced by shock and static compression or by deposition from the vapor phase. Study co-author Professor Christoph Salzmann (UCL Chemistry) said, "Through the controlled layer growth of structures, it should be possible to design materials that are both ultra-hard and also ductile, as well as have adjustable electronic properties from a conductor to an insulator. "The discovery has therefore opened the door to new carbon materials with exciting mechanical and electronic properties that may result in new applications ranging from abrasives and electronics to nanomedicine and laser technology." As well as drawing attention to the exceptional mechanical and electronic properties of the reported carbon structures, the scientists also challenge the current simplistic structural view of the mineral denoted as lonsdaleite. The researchers are also grateful to the late co-author Professor Paul McMillan, who was the Sir William Ramsay Chair of Chemistry at UCL, for bringing the team together, his tireless enthusiasm for this work and his lasting contributions to the field of diamond research. Explore further Ways to synthesize stable diamane at high pressure Study participants in South Sudan. Credit: University of Auckland When singing and speaking to young infants, people alter their voices in a way that is consistent across cultures, according to a study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. The findings suggest that the way in which humans speak and sing to soothe "fussy" infants may have a common, evolved function. More than 40 scientists collected 1,615 recordings from 21 societies and used computers to study the acoustic features that differentiate adult- and infant-directed vocalizations. Acoustic features consistently differed between infant- and adult-directed recordings. For example, infant-directed recordings had purer timbres, songs were more subdued, and speech had a higher pitch. When the recordings were played to 51,065 people from 187 countries via The Music Lab, a research site that taps citizen scientists, listeners could guess when vocalizations were directed at infants more accurately than by chance. The senior author of the research was Dr. Samuel Mehr, a Harvard University psychologist who is joining the University of Auckland in September, bringing The Music Lab with him. (Another arm of the lab will be at Yale University's Haskins Laboratories, an institute for auditory research.) "Human vocalizing for infants seems to be strongly stereotyped across cultures, but these effects differ in magnitude across societies," says Dr. Mehr. "For example, across all sites, people use a higher voice when speaking to infants than they do when speaking to adults, but the difference in pitch is much larger in some societies than otherssome of the biggest differences were in New Zealand English, whereas other languages, like Hadza in Tanzania, had smaller effects," he says. The cross-cultural regularities suggest that the two forms of vocalizations are a common feature of human psychology, according to Professor Quentin Atkinson, a University of Auckland psychologist and one of 43 co-authors of the study. The study featured 18 languages and societies in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. Professor Atkinson and Dr. Tom Vardy collected recordings of parents and babies from Vanuatu, where they have long-term research projects with local communities. Societies varied from cities with millions of residents (Beijing) to smaller cities such as Wellington to small-scale hunter-gatherer groups of as few as 35 people (Hadza people in Tanzania.) Four small-scale societies (Nyangatom people on the border of Ethiopia and South Sudan, Toposa people in South Sudan, Sapara/Achuar people in the Amazon, and Mbendjele people in the Congo) lacked access to television, radio or the internet, and therefore had very limited exposure to language and music from other societies. The Music Lab draws on ideas and tools from cognitive and developmental psychology, data science, and evolutionary anthropology, to ask "what music is, how music works, and why music exists," says Dr. Mehr. Dr. Mehrhimself a musician who plays the clarinet, the flute, the saxophone, the bassoon and the oboesays: "In a sense, one half of things is about what adults do musically and the other is what infants understand of it." Research is showcased on The Music Lab site"Sound-induced motion in chimpanzees does not imply shared ancestry for music or dance," is one exampleand citizen scientists can also play games which, in some cases, contribute to research projects. For example, you can check whether you're tone deaf or a "super listener" able to tell tricky sounds apart, or you can engage with a robot that will try to guess your favorite songs. More information: Courtney B. Hilton et al, Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures, Nature Human Behaviour (2022). Journal information: Nature Human Behaviour Courtney B. Hilton et al, Acoustic regularities in infant-directed speech and song across cultures,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01410-x Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Look at just about any popular media article on personal changes you can make to save the planet and near the top of the list you'll likely see cutting out meator at least decreasing meat consumption dramatically. But is animal protein the climate villain it's made out to be? And can we continue to eat meat in a way that's sustainable? Three researchers in the Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture in Dal's Faculty of Agriculture agree that when it comes to feeding a growing global population, animal protein is part of the solution. But they also say animal production industries can improve on their greenhouse gas emissions and other factors related to sustainability. "It's not sustainable to just be growing plants, because we will either starve, or the soil system won't be able to handle all the plants we need to grow," says Stefanie Colombo, an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Aquaculture Nutrition. Agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about a quarter of all emissions globally, Dr. Colombo says. So with demand for animal protein rising, it is essential that producers continue to improve efficiency and lower emissions. That's been the trend for decades in beef production, says Ghader Manafiazar, as assistant professor who specializes in sustainable livestock production systems. He notes that measuring emissions is challenging, citing a project that employed 17 people and spent $2.5 million to study how much methane 1,000 cows produced. Forty-five years ago, Canada had some 10 million beef cattle. That number has dropped by more than half, while beef production has increased. More importantly, farmers are getting these efficiencies while reducing the total amount of feed. "There is a correlation between feed intake and carbon footprint," Dr. Manafiazar explains, "because when animals take in more, they digest more and at the same time produce more methane. So if they eat less, we are able to reduce their contribution to global warming." But Dr. Maniafazar is also researching more high-tech options, including using machine learning to develop an algorithm that could predict methane emissions based on genetic traits, "to see if we can find some kind of prediction equation." Cattle could then be bred with the desirable lower-emissions genetic profile. Bruce Rathgeber, department chair and an associate professor specializing in poultry production, also points to ongoing improvements in layer and broiler hen production. He says there have been times when "performance has overlooked the impact of welfare," but that there is a better balance between the two today. Dr. Rathgeber says it's important to move forward in a measured way, to avoid unintended consequences. For instance, when the European Union banned antibiotics in broiler hen feed, the overall use of antibiotics went up, as prescriptions for sick birds increased. For Dr. Rathgeber, that points to the importance of an integrated approach: not just eliminating antibiotics but also "reducing density in barns, managing the bedding better so that bacterial proliferation is managed. Farmers became experts in a lot of other aspects and moved away from relying on a drug to take care of a lot of things for them. There's a lot of learning going on." The promise of 'blue foods' For Dr. Colombo, feeding the world means paying much more attention to blue foodsanimals, plant, and algae that grow in the water. "Blue foods are a powerhouse," she says, not only because of their benefits to human health, but also for their environmental promise. "Farmed aquatic foods have lower greenhouse gas emissions than a lot of crops and industrial livestock production," she says. "We need to harness the power of the oceans and reduce some of the environmental footprints overall of the food production system. We can do better, and that's by producing more aquatic based foods." As with other forms of animal production, aquaculture has made mistakes, Dr. Colombo says. She points to early pelletized farmed salmon feeds as an example. "They were fed a pellet, like a dog kibble, originally harvested from wild fisheries like sardines and anchovies, and then ground up and made into fish meal and fish oil. Salmon are carnivores, so nutritionally for them that was perfect, but it made no sense: you can't harvest wild fisheries like that to make a fancy fish like salmon." Today, she says, the amount of fish meal and fish oil has been dramatically reduced, and farms are using more "upcycled" ingredients, like spent brewery grains which can be cultured to grow micro-algae. And we need to think beyond the species we are currently raising. She cites striped bass as a species "on the cusp of becoming a sustainable industry in Nova Scotia." Whether on pasture, in barns, or out on the water, there are still more gains to be made. Overall, Dr. Manafiazar says, North American livestock industries have "done a really good job" of lowering emissions. For instance, the CO 2 -equivalent emissions of a kg of Canadian beef are less than half that of Brazilian beef. "We are among one of the countries with lower carbon footprints," he says. "But the point is, that doesn't mean we don't need to take action." Explore further The UK urgently needs to cut its methane emissions by 2030: cows and sheep hold the key to success Identification charts for NGC 1193 (left panel) and NGC 1798 (right panel), taken from the Leicester database and archive service (LEDAS). Credit: Yontan et al., 2022. Using the San Pedro Martir Observatory and data from ESA's Gaia satellite, astronomers have inspected two old open clusters (OCs) known as NGC 1798 and NGC 1193. Results of the study, published July 13 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light on the properties of these OCs. OCs, formed from the same giant molecular cloud, are groups of stars loosely gravitationally bound to each other. So far, more than 1,000 of them have been discovered in the Milky Way, and scientists are still looking for more, hoping to find a variety of these stellar groupings. Expanding the list of known galactic OCs and studying them in detail could be crucial for improving our understanding of the formation and evolution of our galaxy. Discovered in 1885, NGC 1798 is located some 11,300 light years away, in the constellation Auriga. It has a metallicity at a level of -0.27 and its age is estimated to be 1.7 billion years. When it comes to NGC 1193, this OC was discovered in 1786 in the constellation of Perseus, at a distance of about 15,000 light years from the Earth. Previous observations have found that NGC 1193 is approximately 8 billion years old, and has a metallicity at a level of -0.34. A group of researchers led by Talar Yontan of the Istanbul University in Turkey performed a photometric, astrometric, and kinematic study of the two OCs with the San Pedro Martir Observatory. The research was complemented by data from Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3). "The observations of these two clusters, along with many others, were carried out at the San Pedro Martir Observatory, as part of an ongoing UBVRI photometric survey of Galactic stellar clusters. The 84-cm (f /15) Ritchey-Chretien telescope was employed in combination with the Mexman filter wheel," the researchers explained. In general, the observations allowed the team to examine the structure of NGC 1798 and NGC 1193. They obtained basic astrophysical parameters as well as properties of galactic orbits for these two clusters. The study found that both clusters have limiting radii of approximately 8 arcminutes. This value corresponds to limiting radii of 33.77 and 42.21 for NGC 1798 and NGC 1193, respectively. The astronomers noted that they consider the stars within these limiting radii as potential cluster members and restricted their analysis to this set of stars. All in all, the researchers identified 428 and 361 stars as most likely members of NGC 1798 and NGC 1193, respectively. It was found that both OCs were born outside the solar circle with the birth radii of 35.4 light years for NGC 1193 and 38.5 light years for NGC 1798 from the Galactic center. Moreover, both clusters orbit in the metal-poor region of the Galactic disk. According to the new findings, NGC 1798 has a reddening of 0.5 mag and photometric metallicity at a level of -0.2. The cluster turned out to be younger than previously thought as its age was calculated to be about 1.3 billion years. The distance to NGC 1798 was measured to be 14,500 light years. When it comes to NGC 1193, its reddening is approximately 0.15 mag, while its metallicity was determined to be -0.3. This OC is located about 18,100 light years away and was also found to be younger than previously estimatedits age turned out to be 4.6 billion years. Explore further Study inspects properties of four galactic open clusters More information: T. Yontan et al, A study of the NGC 1193 and NGC 1798 open clusters using CCD UBV photometric and Gaia EDR3 data. arXiv:2207.06407v1 [astro-ph.GA], T. Yontan et al, A study of the NGC 1193 and NGC 1798 open clusters using CCD UBV photometric and Gaia EDR3 data. arXiv:2207.06407v1 [astro-ph.GA], arxiv.org/abs/2207.06407 2022 Science X Network A dehydrated and injured koala receives treatment after being rescued from a bushfire in 2019. Australia's unique wildlife is being devastated by bushfires, drought, habitat loss and global warming, a government report said Tuesday, warning that more species are headed for extinction. The five-yearly State of the Environment report prompted calls for dramatic action to reverse the "poor and deteriorating" state of flora and fauna depicted by scientists on land and at sea. The damage is being hastened by a climate that has warmed Australia's average land temperature by 1.4 degrees Celsius since the early 20th century, the report said. A failure to manage the pressures "will continue to result in species extinctions," scientists warned in the report. Australia's environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said it was a "shocking document". "If we continue on the trajectory that we are on now, we will see more threatened species, we will see drier rivers, we will see degraded landscape, we will see reefs dying," she told journalists. "The path we are on is not sustainable." Plibersek, a member of the centre-left Labor Party that came to power in May elections, criticised the previous conservative government for failing to publish the report, which it had received in December 2021. She promised to carve out more of Australia's land and oceans for protection, pursue "fundamental reform" of environmental laws and empower a new environmental protection agency. Australia's 2019-2020 "Black Summer" bushfires burned more than eight million hectares of native vegetation and killed or displaced 1-3 billion animals. 'Ecological bomb' Australia's 2019-2020 "Black Summer" bushfires burned more than eight million hectares of native vegetation and killed or displaced 1-3 billion animals, the report found. The fires were an "ecological bomb ripping through southeastern Australia", Plibersek said. Marine heatwaves caused mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017 and 2020, scientists said in the report. Since then, a government report in March found the reef had again suffered mass bleaching. Millions of hectares of primary forest had been cleared since 1990, the report said. More than seven million hectares of habitat for threatened species were cleared between 2000 and 2017 without being assessed under Australia's environmental conservation laws, it found. In five years, more than 200 plant and animal species of national significance had been added to the list of threatened species under Australia's environmental laws. "Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent," the report said, with the number of new species listed as being under greater threat up by eight percent in five years. Extinction Rebellion members protest in Melbourne Tuesday following the release of a dire environmental report. 'Heartbreaking' Australia's cities are also growing at a rapid clip, scientists found, raising urban heat, pollution and waste while stretching water and energy resources. "Sydney has lost more than 70 percent of native vegetation cover through development," the report said. Sydney Habour's stormwater drains also created hotspots of pollution with concentrations 20 times higher than when the harbour was pristine. "The findings of this report are heartbreaking, and the leadership failures that have led to loss at this scale devastating," said WWF-Australia acting chief executive Rachel Lowry. "If we ignore the warnings of this report then iconic species like koalas across eastern Australia, or our largest gliding mammal, the greater glider, will disappear forever on our watch." WWF-Australia said the report should be a "turning point" that lead to greater investment and stronger laws to protect Australia's wildlife and wilderness. Lowry urged the new government to act quickly, condemning existing environmental legislation for "failing miserably" to protect threatened species. The "devastating" new report showed coasts and marine environments were deteriorating, the Australian Marine Conservation Society said. "We need to do more now, or we put at risk everything we rely on our oceans forour health, wellbeing, livelihoods and our culture," said the society's chief executive, Darren Kindleysides. Explore further Threatened species habitat destruction shows federal laws are broken 2022 AFP Map of the Galapagos Archipelago, indicating the approximate locations on Fernandina Island where the Chelonoidis phantasticus individuals were found in 1906 and 2019. Island names are in capital letters, species names are in italics. Tortoise icons indicate the morphology of the species, either domed (gray), saddleback (white), or semi-saddleback (indicated with both icons present). Map tiles by Stamen Design, under CC BY 3.0. Data by OpenStreetMap, under ODbL. Image of Fernanda by Lucas Bustamante Galapagos Conservancy, image of the historical specimen Kathryn Whitney California Academy of Sciences. Credit: Communications Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03483-w The discovery in 2019 of a lone small female tortoise living on one of the most inaccessible islands of the Galapagos Islands has baffled evolutionary biologists. Only one other tortoise, a large male discovered in 1906, has ever been found on Fernandina Island, an isolated island on the western edge of the iconic archipelago. A comparison of the genomes of Fernanda (as researchers call the recently discovered 50-year-old tortoise) and the 20th century male specimen now housed at the California Academy of Sciences, revealed that the two animals are closely related, doubling the number of known members of Chelonoidis phantasticus, Yale University researchers report on June 9 in the journal Communications Biology. But the discovery has raised many more questions. "Vast amounts of the genomes are similar between the two animals, but the process that explains how this happened we just don't know," said Adalgisa Caccone, a senior research scientist and lecturer in Yale's Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and senior author of the study. "This also shows the importance of using museum collections to understand the past." It is believed that there are 15 distinct species of giant tortoise on the Galapagos Islands, according to Galapagos Conservancy, a U.S.-based nonprofit. The new finding clearly shows that the two tortoises found on Fernandina Island belong to their own lineage and are closer in relation to each other than to any other species of Galapagos tortoises, the numbers of which have been reduced by 85% to 90% since the early 19th century, largely due to the arrival of whalers and pirates who killed them for food. "The finding of one alive specimen gives hope and also opens up new questions as many mysteries still remain," said Caccone, a member of Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. "Are there more tortoises on Fernandina that can be brought back into captivity to start a breeding program? How did tortoises colonize Fernandina and what is their evolutionary relationship to the other giant Galapagos tortoises?" The tortoises of Fernandina Island were believed to have been driven to extinction by volcanic eruptions on the island, including approximately 25 in the last two centuries. Areas of vegetation, scientists have theorized, were reduced by lava flows. The Galapagos National Park and the Galapagos Conservancy plan to scour the island of Fernandina for relatives of Fernanda in hopes of preserving the species. The presence of additional tortoise scats and tracks suggests they may find more animals on the island, Caccone said. If more tortoises are found, she said, conservationists could start a captive breeding program. Deciphering the evolutionary relationship between the two Fernandina tortoises might be trickier. For one thing, they look very different. The male specimen has a large and protruding carapace characteristic of saddleback tortoises, while Fernanda has a smaller, smoother shell. Caccone thinks that this shape difference is possibly due to stunted growth as a result of limited food options. And while the genomes of the two animals are very similar, researchers discovered differences within the mitochondria, the energy-producing portion of cells that are passed down maternally. Since mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother, Caccone said it is possible that Fernanda is a hybrid, the progeny of a Chelonoidis phantasticus male and a C. nigra female, a now extinct species from the island of Floreana, the larger neighbor of Fernandina. Humans are known to have moved different tortoise species, such as C. nigra, between the Galapagos islandsincluding to Isabela island, where many hybrids between the endemic species C. becki and the extinct C. nigra have been found. It is possible that a C. nigra female similarly found its way to Fernandina and mated with a male from C. phantasticus, leaving its mitochondrial DNA to all her descendants. Caccone thinks that the male now housed in the California museum is probably a true representative of the original species. But to solve this new puzzle, she said, more tortoises from Fernandina need to be found. Evolutionary biologists will work on these and other questions in coming years. "These tortoises are the largest cold-blooded terrestrial herbivore on Earth and have a very important ecological role," Caccone said. "So protecting them is important not only because of their iconic status but also because they are an important agent of ecosystem stability in the Galapagos. "There is still a lot we don't know, and what we learn will provide guidance to help protect them and with them the fragile and unique place on Earth they call home." More information: Evelyn L. Jensen et al, The Galapagos giant tortoise Chelonoidis phantasticus is not extinct, Communications Biology (2022). Journal information: Communications Biology Evelyn L. Jensen et al, The Galapagos giant tortoise Chelonoidis phantasticus is not extinct,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03483-w Smoke rising from the vineyards in Pumarejo, northwest Spain, on July 18, 2022. Europe's searing heatwave is generating very high levels of harmful ozone pollution, the region's atmospheric monitoring service warned Tuesday, adding that large areas of western Europe also face "extreme" danger of wildfires. Record temperatures, which scientists say are driven by climate change, are predicted in France and Britain Tuesday as suffocating heat that has gripped southwest Europe and sparked ferocious wildfires moves northwards. "Tinder dry conditions and extreme heat are exacerbating the risk of wildfires," according to a statement from the Copernicus monitoring service. The organisation's emergency management service has warned that a large proportion of western Europe is in "extreme fire danger" with some areas of "very extreme fire danger". The heatwave is also causing high levels of ground-level ozone, Copernicus said. Unlike the protective layer in the upper atmosphere, this is a major greenhouse gas and component of urban smog that harms human health and inhibits photosynthesis in plants. "The potential impacts of very high ozone pollution on human health can be considerable both in terms of respiratory and cardio-vascular illness," said Mark Parrington, Senior Scientist from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. Ozone is formed as emissions from fossil fuels and other man-made pollutants react in the presence of sunlight and Copernicus said cutting emissions of these pollutants is "crucial". Scientists have already detected "extremely high surface ozone pollution" across western and southern Europe, particularly over the Iberian Peninsula and parts of northern Italy. Daily maximum levels of surface ozone, which normally peaks during the middle of the day, reached unhealthy levels in Portugal, Spain and Italy, according to Copernicus. Scientists now warn that, while the situation is likely to ease across the Iberian Peninsula, very high surface ozone levels are now being seen in areas of northern and western parts of the continent as temperatures rise. The ozone levels in these regions are forecast to peak in the next few days, before easing. Copernicus also predicted no relief from the wildfires that have engulfed swathes of forests across parts of southern Europe. One million ozone pollution deaths In southwest France, two massive fires have created apocalyptic scenes of destruction, despite much of the country's entire firefighting capacity being deployed. Copernicus said total carbon emissions from the wildfires in Spain so far in July are the highest seen for the June-July period since 2003. Parrington said high surface ozone can lead to sore throats, coughing, headaches and an increased risk of asthma attacks. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition estimates that ozone pollution causes approximately one million additional deaths per year. Ozone is also a key concern for agricultural regions and food security. In January, researchers estimated that persistently high levels of ozone pollution in Asia are costing China, Japan and South Korea an estimated $63 billion annually in lost rice, wheat and maize crops. Explore further Ozone pollution costs Asia billions in lost crops: study 2022 AFP Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Astronomers at the University of Arizona have developed a theory to explain the presence of the largest molecules known to exist in interstellar gas. The team simulated the environment of dying stars and observed the formation of buckyballs (carbon atoms linked to three other carbon atoms by covalent bonds) and carbon nanotubes (rolled up sheets of single-layer carbon atoms). The findings indicate that buckyballs and carbon nanotubes can form when silicon carbide dustknown to be proximate to dying starsreleases carbon in reaction to intense heat, shockwaves and high energy particles. "We know from infrared observations that buckyballs populate the interstellar medium," said Jacob Bernal, who led the research. "The big problem has been explaining how these massive, complex carbon molecules could possibly form in an environment saturated with hydrogen, which is what you typically have around a dying star." Rearranging the structure of graphene (a sheet of single-layer carbon atoms) could create buckyballs and nanotubes. Building on that, the team heated silicon carbide samples to temperatures that would mimic the aura of a dying star and observed the formation of nanotubes. "We were surprised we could make these extraordinary structures," Bernal said. "Chemically, our nanotubes are very simple, but they are extremely beautiful." Buckyballs are the largest molecules currently known to occur in interstellar space. It is now known that buckyballs containing 60 to 70 carbon atoms are common. "We know the raw material is there, and we know the conditions are very close to what you'd see near the envelope of a dying star," study co-author Lucy Ziurys said. "Shock waves pass through the envelope, and the temperature and pressure conditions have been shown to exist in space. We also see buckyballs in planetary nebulaein other words, we see the beginning and the end products you would expect in our experiments." The research was published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. Explore further Dying stars could seed interstellar medium with carbon nanotubes More information: Jacob J. Bernal et al, Destructive Processing of Silicon Carbide Grains: Experimental Insights into the Formation of Interstellar Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes, The Journal of Physical Chemistry A (2022). Jacob J. Bernal et al, Destructive Processing of Silicon Carbide Grains: Experimental Insights into the Formation of Interstellar Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01441 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Some female bears may select dens for hibernation in areas nearer to human activity to keep the threat of males from them and their vulnerable newborn cubs, researchers suggest. A study led by conservation experts at Nottingham Trent University and European partners involved monitoring populations of brown bears in the Cantabrian mountain range in northern Spain over 20 years. Working with researchers at the Spanish National Research Council, the Biodiversity Research Institute in Spain, the University of Leon, and the Czech University of Life Sciences, they looked at changes in the habitat characteristics of dens used by females to give birth to cubs. The researchers suggest that the more dominant and experienced females may pre-emptively occupy the best locations, with good food resources and at higher altitudes and near to rugged terrain. These higher quality areas allow them to achieve higher fitness and limit the movement of their cubs and the likelihood of encountering other bears or people. As the number of bears increased some females began to move to sub-optimal quality areas, lower in the valleys and closer to sources of human disturbance, such as trails and roads, with shorter distances between neighboring bears' breeding areas. Male bears are known to steer clear of areas used by people and can kill newborn cubsknown as infanticideto make females become receptive to mating again, so getting closer to humans would help them to avoid dangerous encounters which could end badly for them or their offspring. The effect of increasing densities on bears' spatial behavior is poorly understood and monitoring characteristics relating to females with cubs is considered to be the most important component when assessing brown bear populations. "The Cantabrian brown bear is an example of a vulnerable large carnivore population that has recently increased in size," said researcher Dr. Antonio Uzal, an expert in wildlife conservation in Nottingham Trent University's School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences. He said: "As populations increase, the competition for space and resources does too. Restricted habitat availability may promote encounters among bears during the mating season and this in turn can lead to a higher prevalence of infanticide events. "Our findings may suggest that some bears used areas nearer to human activity and settlements and this would enable them to segregate from adult male bears, which are known to avoid such areas. "The research also supports a well-established theory in ecology that competition for territories results in the most dominant individuals holding the higher-quality areas earlier while the weakest are forced to find sub-optimal habitats. "Bears nearing human activity brings obvious challenges too, however, such as potential encounters with people and a higher likelihood of animals being killed on roads. Certain areas might also need to be closed to access at particular points of the year. "From a conservation point of view our findings are significant, as we can identify critical habitats at certain periods in the year and potentially manage activities in these areas." The study is published in the journal Mammal Research. Explore further Spain searches for wounded bear and cub after brutal attack More information: A. Uzal et al, Habitat characteristics around dens in female brown bears with cubs are density dependent, Mammal Research (2022). A. Uzal et al, Habitat characteristics around dens in female brown bears with cubs are density dependent,(2022). DOI: 10.1007/s13364-022-00640-8 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain When major threats are looming, but their timing is uncertain, it's hard for business leaders to make an action plan for dealing with them. Wharton marketing professor emeritus George Day and global management consultant Roger Dennis call it "the paradox of preparedness." In this essay, they offer four steps to help leaders heed the warning signs of disaster before it's too late. What happens when there is credible warning of a looming problem that could disrupt an organization, but the timing and consequences are uncertain? Most likely, nothing. This is the paradox of preparedness, and it happens no matter how loud and clear the alarm. Consider how little happened in response to Bill Gates prescient TED Talk in 2015, when he warned that the world wasn't ready for the next pandemic. While it's easy to write off the lack of attention to an uncertain threat, like a viral outbreak at some point in the future, more specific warnings are frequently dismissed as well. The antidote to this disruptive paradox is four attention-getting actions that prompt low-cost preparations, which we outline below. The paradox of preparedness often prevails because leaders filter warning signals through cataracts of self-deception, myopia, and inertia. Compounding these biases are warning messages that are too cautious and lack a compelling call to action. When there is little incentive to pay attention and prepare, it is too easy to postpone preparations. This was a lesson learned when Roger and his team warned New Zealand businesses in 2015 that their lengthy and fragile supply chains could be disrupted by a global pandemic, yet very little action was subsequently taken. The prompt for the warning was the 20132016 outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa. Although Ebola was contained, the earlier outbreak of the coronavirus that caused SARS showed that a global pandemic would likely happen again. Two New Zealand companies in the energy and retail sectors agreed with this threat assessment and commissioned a study to prepare themselves and the country. The project included interviewing senior New Zealand government officials and supply chain experts from many of New Zealand's largest companies. The result was a publicly available report with detailed recommendations for the government and private sector. The report sent a stark warning that the economy of New Zealand was exposed to the damaging consequences of a global pandemic. It urged companies to improve their visibility into their supply chains, to see which transportation links and suppliers could be at risk, undertake low-cost preparations to make the supply chains more resilient, and strengthen their vigilance capabilities. These vigilance capabilities were needed for the early detection of looming threats and to gain valuable time. Given the graphic warning, Roger expected leaders to pay attention and act. He was wrong. Neither the government nor the private sector made noticeable changes. Leaders in New Zealand had not experienced a pandemic, and a deadly disease in Africa seemed remote. Five years after the report was published, it was apparent that an alarming virus was emerging in China. The authors of the 2015 supply chain vulnerability study called the firms involved in the study and recommended they urgently review the report. But it was too late. By 2021, the problems with global supply chains were metastasizing; semiconductor chips were scarce, shipping costs and delays were mounting fast, and many ports were severely clogged. The pandemic was a classic gray swan eventpossible, well-known, and potentially extremely damaging. Compared to black swan events that are entirely unpredictable, gray swans have low expected probability in the near term, and the damage can be contained with low-cost preparations. However, if leadership teams are to pay more attention to the possible threats from supply chain fragility, regulatory exposure, climate change, or digital disruptions, they first need to be persuaded. Getting and keeping attention The capacity of a leadership team to pay attention is like a sponge. To avoid oversaturating their attention resource with immediate and pressing issues, two principles need to be observed. First, the collective attention of a leadership team is a scarce resource and can be easily squandered. "Pay attention" is a helpful dictum for parents with distracted children, or leaders overloaded with weak signals of possible threats and opportunities while preoccupied with operational issues. While individual attention may be a fixed resource, a leadership team's collective attention can be expanded (through setting priorities and changing incentives) while improving the transfer of knowledge via gatekeepers. Someone should be the point person on an issue and accountable for "collecting the paranoia." Increasing the diversity of a leadership team also expands the collective attention span. Second, leadership attention must be earned. New information creates the most value when it connects with existing know-how. The richer a team's existing knowledge base, the more likely they are to pay attention to new information about an issue. There are many ways to get attention. The four approaches we recommend are: learning from past experience, staying alert to anomalies, creating engaging experiences through simulations, and narrating credible stories about the future. Dense reports and PowerPoint presentations rich with detailed recommendations are too easy to forget or set aside. The choice of approach to emphasize depends on knowing the audience. How do they like to learn? What are their most pressing concerns and priorities? Who do they trust as a source of information and warnings? What barriers to gaining their attention have to be overcome? Answering these questions is key to gaining leadership attention. 1. Start by learning from experience The past is not necessarily a prolog to the future, but it can yield clues about persistent blind spots. A revealing and attention-getting approach is to surface and acknowledge past "hits and misses" by the firm. Leadership teams are asked to recall recent instances when the firm was late in seeing threats and opportunities and had to reacta clear "miss." The "hits" are when key trends or turning points were seen in time to plot the best moves. The aim is not to finger-point or scapegoat but to surface persistent patterns in collective foresight or inattention that can be corrected or strengthened. Was there a recurring reason why some events were seen in time and others were missed? This prompts a rich conversation as the leadership team surfaces the underlying reasons in the culture, incentives, or information-sharing systems. A hits-and-misses analysis needs to be done openly. It is prone to hindsight bias due to the tendency to recall past events as more predictable than they actually were. Toyota executives absorbed some hard lessons after the Fukushima earthquake and the resulting tsunami disrupted their supply chains in 2011. They learned that their famed Just-in-Time production system, with parts reaching their assembly lines only when needed, was an acute point of vulnerability for critical items such as the chipsets powering the onboard computers in their cars. In a change in practice, Toyota suppliers were required to hold a buffer stock of chips to satisfy Toyota's requirements for up to six months of production. To add resiliency to their supply chains, Toyota began to practice parallel sourcing. They now have several suppliers of critical components in case one should falter, as happened during the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. Because Toyota learned to protect their supply chains, they were able to operate at 92% capacity, while Ford and GM operated at 60% percent production capacity in the first half of 2021. 2. Stay alert to anomalies The route to preparedness starts when the leadership team is collectively curious about anomalies. Shell CEO Ben van Beurden did this by asking the question: Pushed to the extreme, how quickly could electric vehicles come? His attention had been caught by an alarming anomaly between 2014 and 2016, when oil prices fell while electric vehicles doubled in global sales from 323,000 to 753,000 units per year. In the six years before 2016, the price of lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars had dropped 73%. Shell's head of planning characterized the resulting challenges facing the company as "radical uncertainty." Anomalies are weak signals that are in some way surprising because they don't fit received wisdom but are not entirely clear in significance. Many anomalies are missed or ignored because people are susceptible to confirmation bias. They are not obviously actionable because they are ambiguous, so pursuing an anomaly requires the exercise of curiosity. But they may be signposts to the future and reveal potential opportunities. This is what Intuit calls, "savoring the surprise." Intuit leadership realized that many users of their online money management service Mint weren't behaving the way they were expected to behave because they were using Mint to manage their self-employment income. They were operating in the expanding gig economy. Embracing this insight, Intuit designed a variation of QuickBooks for self-employed workers, and it became their fastest-growing product. An anomaly comes to life when it narrates a story about what might happen should it become a reality. A compelling narrative helps spread the news of a potential opportunity or looming threat throughout an organization by capturing the collective attention. It should address these questions: Why is it a departure from our existing assumptions? What could it lead to? What new information would validate or deny the reality of the narrative? 3. Engage the organization Preparing an organization for a major change means that key implementers know why the change is needed and accept their responsibility for making it happen. Immersion in role-playing or simulations will help them get there. That was the approach taken by a major health system in New Zealand when leaders foresaw reduced government funding, an aging population to serve, and a shrinking workforce. They needed to fundamentally rethink how health care was going to be delivered. The process was nontraditional by design. Instead of a top-down vision decided by the leadership team, the process began with the people who worked daily on the front lines. A collaborative view was created of the needed preparations for the future of health care in the region. This became an immersive experience called Showcasea collection of interactive exhibits that brought to life the vision for their staff. The key question at the end was simple: "What does this mean for you?" The overwhelming response was, "I need to make this change happen." Showcase became the foundation for a successful decade-long transformation that also prepared the system to respond to the chaos created when a major earthquake devasted the region. The health system responded incredibly well. When the CEO was asked how people had coped so well, his response was that the leaders had already been preparing the organization for years. 4. Learn from the future Preparations against possible threats can be simulated with scenarios. This is a method of rehearsing the future to avoid surprises. It is an engaging process that considers multiple plausible futures and highlights the need to build resilience. Scenario-learning takes intense dialogue that challenges embedded assumptions and conventional wisdom. This provokes a healthy tension that is an essential fuel to collective learning. A useful set of scenarios is organized around the main uncertainties and offers diverse narratives about what the future might bring. When Shell Oil was trying to grasp the implications of electric vehicles in 2017, company leaders focused on two pivotal uncertainties: (1) global demand for energy, and (2) the likely penetration of alternative energy sources that would reduce the demand for fossil fuels. This created four possible scenarios. One scenario, optimistically labeled Brave New World, combined low energy demand and rapid technological substitution. This worst-case scenario described a world in which demand for crude oil would peak around the mid-2020s. In 2017, Shell leadership had no idea which scenario would best describe the future, nor how quickly each scenario would unfold. Scenarios work best when they challenge and stretch thinking, and prime the leaders to pay attention to early warning signals that suggest possible preparations. To guide these preparations, a strategic radar is needed to monitor in real-time the leading indicators of the important uncertainties. This is not a dashboard of backward-looking performance metrics, but a forward-looking track of unfolding uncertainties. "Be prepared" is a useful motto that falls short as a call to action. In retrospect, Roger's pandemic alert didn't capture the attention of influential leaders in the New Zealand economy in 2015. The dense report should have been accompanied by an engaging video on the consequences of inaction, an image-rich executive summary, and a press release to highlight the message. We should have convened a meeting of key influencers to push for stress-testing the ability of their supply chains to recover from a future shock. An early warning system to capture indicators of uncertainties and anomalies could have been put in place. The unrealized goal was to create more resilient organizations with robust supply chains that could weather abrupt change. We hope that you use our four action steps, along with the hindsight gained from Roger's experience, to prevent a miss within your own organization and surmount the paradox of preparedness. Explore further Drug supply shortages have nothing to do with COVID-19 Precious Richardson, left, lights candles during a vigil for her uncle, Maurice Granton Jr., in the 4700 block of South Prairie Avenue, June 7, 2018, in Chicago. Granton Jr. was fatally shot by Chicago Police during a foot pursuit. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) The city of Chicago is poised to pay more than $11 million in settlements to people who alleged police misconduct under a bundle of actions approved by a City Council committee. The proposed settlements will come before the full council Wednesday. Advertisement One of the three settlements approved Monday by the Finance Committee was $4.25 million to the family of Maurice Granton Jr., a 24-year-old man fatally shot by Chicago police in 2018 after a foot chase in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Officer Sheldon Thrasher chased Granton after observing what he and other officers thought were drug sales taking place underneath the CTA Green Line tracks, Law Department counsel Caroline Fronczak said during Tuesdays committee hearing. As he closed in on Granton, the officer allegedly heard one gunshot, the sound of which was captured on a nearby sergeants body camera, but Thrasher did not see who had fired a weapon. Advertisement After losing sight of Granton for a moment, Thrasher saw him less than 10 feet away, scaling a wrought-iron fence. The officer fired three shots, one of which struck Granton in the back and killed him, Fronczak said. Thrasher didnt activate his body camera until afterward because it was buffering, she said. But the shooting did get captured by a different bodycam, without audio, and it showed Grantons hands were empty when he was climbing the fence, Fronczak said. Joanna Varnado, 31, sister of Maurice Granton Jr., 24, and Latayshia Shaw, left, visit the site where Maurice was shot by police the day before in Chicago on June 7, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. As people nearby began approaching and yelling, Thrasher was recorded saying, You see your homie right there? You see your homie shot? Get back. Get back. A handgun was recovered from the middle of the lot about 10 to 15 feet from Grantons body, Fronczak said. The citys Civilian Office of Police Accountability has recommended Thrasher be fired, and police Superintendent David Brown agreed, Fronczak said. Thrashers disciplinary charges included violating rules on the use of deadly force, not activating his body camera in time and arguing with bystanders after the shooting. Fronczak closed her remarks by noting that given the video evidence, the chances of verdict in favor of plaintiff are substantially increased when advocating for the settlement amount. Ald. Marty Quinn, Ald. Silvana Tabares, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, Ald. Nicholas Sposato and Ald. Anthony Napolitano voted against that settlement. The committee also approved a $6.75 million settlement for Norman McIntosh, who spent about 15 years in prison for a 2001 murder before his conviction was vacated. Jessica Felker, another Law Department representative, said Chicago police officers used the testimonies of three witnesses who recanted and said they falsely identified McIntosh. Advertisement Moreover, his car, which had been thought to have been used in carrying out the crime, was impounded at the time of the shooting. Felker said the plaintiff was likely to ask for $15 million to $30 million in damages, so a $6.75 million settlement was reasonable. The City Council committee members unanimously agreed. Lastly, aldermen approved a $195,000 settlement to Leroy Kennedy, who alleged excessive force by Chicago police during an arrest made on charges that were later dropped. Ald. Ariel Reboyras and Ald. Quinn voted against that settlement. ayin@chicagotribune.com Emergent constraint (EC) on future rate of change of precipitation in Asia, based on CMIP6 projections. ad demonstrate the emergent constraint relationships (green line) between the simulated historical annual temperature growth rate during 19702015 (C year1) and the future annual precipitation growth rate during 20152100 (mm year1) across 27 CMIP6 models under SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585 emission scenarios. Each circle represents the mean values of simulated historical annual temperature growth rate and future annual precipitation growth rate from one CMIP6 model. Annual growth rates of temperature and precipitation for each model are estimated by fitting linear regression to the simulated/projected CMIP6 time series data. Observational bounds of the four observational data sets (HadCRUT4, NOAA, GISS and GHCN, see the vertical shading) are all applied (detailed values provided in Supplementary Table 8). Probability density functions of future annual precipitation growth rate are shown before (black lines) and after application of the emergent constraint to the observations (color lines). Credit: Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31782-7 Global climate tools being used to predict future temperature rises and rainfall across Asia are significantly overestimating their potential growth and impact, according to new research. A study published in Nature Communications suggests predictions by the World Climate Research Program's Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) are overestimating future temperature growth by between 3.4% and 11.6%. Based on revised calculations, an international team of researchers say this could result in the rate of snow cover loss in Asia, notably in the Himalayas, being between 10.5% and 40.2% lower than previously predicted. As well as the physical effects on the landscape, this, they add, could have significant knock-on effects on both predicted future climate warming and water availability in Asia. Around half of the world's population lives in Asia, with environmental scientists and engineers constantly required to estimate the effect of global warming on the hydrological cycle, particularly precipitation in the form of rainfall. Such estimates are vitally important when it comes to developing both present and future climate change mitigation and water resources management policies. Alistair Borthwick, Professor of Applied Hydrodynamics at the University of Plymouth and one of the study's co-authors, said, "Understanding of the relationships between global warming and future rainfall parameters is key to estimating the scale, intensity, and future occurrences of flood and drought events worldwide. "Using the latest techniques in data analytics, our work has determined empirical relationships called emergent constraints that should enable water experts to provide better forecasts of future precipitation in Asia." This study involved researchers based at universities in Amsterdam, Wuhan, Edinburgh, Nanjing, Oxford and Plymouth, and used emergent constraints to evaluate the relationship between temperature growth rates from 1970 to 2014, and rainfall growth rates from 2015 to 2100 across Asia. Emergent constraints are obtained by discovering trends in data relating to model simulations of the present climate and projections of the future climate. For such trends to be useful in practice, they should have plausible physical explanations that are verifiable, and evidence be provided that the trends are satisfied by out-of-sample tests. The results from the new research demonstrate that the CMIP6 models satisfactorily capture precipitation feedback, whereby increased water vapor in wetter conditions imposes a stronger warming effect on temperature. However, by applying the emergent constraint relationship between simulated historical temperature growth rate and future precipitation growth rate to temperature observations, the uncertainty in future precipitation projections was reduced by up to 31%. Professor Yuanfang Chai, of Wuhan University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the study's lead author, said, "Accurate predictions of future climate change are essential for providing reliable information to plan climate mitigation and adaptation measures. However, projections of Earth System Models are still considered undesirable. By applying the emergent constraint technique, our work successfully reduced the uncertainties of future projections of precipitation, temperature, and snow loss in Asia compared to the original CMIP6 outputs." Co-author Dr. Louise Slater, of the University of Oxford, said, "It is important to accurately estimate future climate changes. Our work shows that future increases in rainfall and temperature over Asia are likely to be smaller than previously thought." Another Co-author Dr. Yue Yao, of Wuhan University, added, "Our work reveals that previous projections of future temperature and snow loss growth rates are overestimated across Asia. Therefore, the acceleration of future water cycles is expected to be slower. This has positive implications for climate mitigation and adaption." The potential impacts of warming temperatures in Asia Professor Alistair Borthwick writes, "As the Earth warms, Asia will experience increased heat stress, notably longer fire seasons and increased frequency and intensity of wildfires. "India is most vulnerable to health problems from heat exposure. China faces further desertification, soil erosion, dune mobilization, sandstorms, and air pollution of its arid and semi-arid north-western regions. In certain regions of Asia, heat stress may lower crop production. Reduced water levels in some Asian rivers and lakes may damage fish populations, increase contamination levels, and promote the growth of algae (eutrophication). "For the Himalayas, higher temperatures will cause glacier retreat and less snow cover. Snowmelt and glacier water could significantly raise river flow discharges, increasing the likelihood of extreme floods and landslides which would inundate downstream cities, urban areas, and farmland. Several thousand glacier lakes are found in the Himalayas, comprising glacier meltwater enclosed by moraine. These lakes are susceptible to sudden outburst floods. In Nepal, snowmelt water may exacerbate floods, avalanches, and landslides, bringing a cascade of hazards to people living in downstream cities. "The study improves the accuracy of forecasts of temperature and precipitation growth rates over Asia, enabling authorities to develop better revegetation schemes, shelterbelts, flood mitigation measures, and flood warning systems. In short, it helps us better prepare for the challenges global warming is likely to pose to Asia." Explore further Latest climate models tend to overestimate future Afro-Asian monsoon rainfall and runoff More information: Yuanfang Chai et al, Constrained CMIP6 projections indicate less warming and a slower increase in water availability across Asia, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Yuanfang Chai et al, Constrained CMIP6 projections indicate less warming and a slower increase in water availability across Asia,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31782-7 Credit: Kathleen Fu for USC Dornsife Magazine In Los Angeles, the historians know the truth: The water here is anything but clean. Like many areas with relatively high temperatures and paltry precipitation, water has always been a matter of life and death for L.A., a city that sits on a semi-arid coastal plain with desert on three sides and the Pacific Ocean on the fourth. The city resorted to drastic, at times deeply unethicaland occasionally even criminalmeans to secure the vital resource that enabled it to grow into a major world metropolis. "Water invites all kinds of shenanigans in the American West. It invites all kinds of deals: smoke-filled room deals, quiet deals, corrupt deals. And people need to know these histories," says William Deverell, professor of history, spatial sciences and environmental studies at USC Dornsife. The conflicts over water were waged on two fronts. There was the freshwater battle that involved, among other skirmishes, the struggle over procuring drinking water and irrigation. And there was the saltwater battle, involving the development of the Port of Los Angeles and control over its lucrative shipping and trade potential. Dark harbor If you watch enough television and movies, you might get the impression that nothing good ever happens down at the docks. Of course, that's not true, but thanks to its depictions in popular culture, from On the Waterfront to The Wire, the American port has gained a reputation as a place associated with graft, dead bodies and illegally trafficked goods. And the Port of Los Angeles is no exceptionfrom its origins as a site of some highly questionable land-grabbing to its lowest point in the 1960s, when bribery scandals and the mysterious death of its board president blackened its reputation. The history of the port, located in San Pedro Bay, is the tale of a muddy tideflat that during the course of the 20th century grew to become the largest shipping container port in the Western Hemisphere. Alumna and former executive director of the port Geraldine Knatz chronicles the battle to control the waterfront in her book "Port of Los Angeles: Conflict, Commerce, and the Fight for Control" (Angel City Press and the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, 2019). "For L.A. to become an important city it needed a harbor, and so it was the water's edge, what we call 'the Tidelands," that was the focus of the struggle," says Knatz, who holds a joint appointment as professor of the practice of policy and engineering at USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Knatz earned a master's degree in environmental engineering from USC Viterbi in 1977 and a doctorate in biological sciences from USC Dornsife in 1979. Her book traces the port's history, from the 1890s, when several railway barons saw its potential to yield lucrative freight shipping contracts, to its dominant role today. Dubbed "America's Port," the Port of Los Angeles now occupies 7,500 acres of land and water along 43 miles of waterfront. In the late 19th century, Southern Pacific Railroad agreed to link L.A. to its transcontinental railway in exchange for a monopoly on transporting goods from the port to the city, a move that brought an influx of tourism and business to the fledgling town. But around the turn of the 20th century, a dispute arose as to whether the state of California had been authorized to sell the land around the harbor to private individuals and companies, including Southern Pacific. Thomas Gibbon, a member of the first Board of Harbor Commissioners for the port, argued it had not. He used his positionas well as his media muscle as publisher of the Los Angeles Daily Heraldto fight for the city's right to reclaim the land in order to expand the port. "The city of L.A. was aggressive, ruthless," Knatz says. "They would blackball people who did business with the private property owners and tried to undermine those businesses because, from the city's perspective, the property should be in public ownership. When it was privately owned, the city got no rent." After gaining control of the surrounding land, the city expanded the port to meet the needs of a growing nation. Although whispers of corruption and underhand dealings plagued its rise in the early 20th century, it was in the '60s that the Port of Los Angeles "really hit rock bottom," Knatz says. "There was a scandal over leasingwithout competitive bidsa large portion of the port's Terminal Island for construction of a World Trade Center to a developer whose only assets were liens against his failed projects," Knatz says. "Los Angeles Harbor commissioners were indicted, and in 1967, the Harbor Commission president was discovered floating facedown in the main channel. No evidence of foul play or suicide was found, however, and his death was ruled an accident." A tale of three rivers If L.A.'s battles to control its waterfront were comparable to the plot of a noir movie, then so were the city's legendary struggles to obtain sufficient freshwater to secure its expansion. "The tale of L.A. is also the tale of three rivers," says Deverell, director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West. "The stories of these riversthe Los Angeles, the Owens and the Coloradoare interwoven with the fabric of the city's history." The rivers also serve as a handy yardstick to measure the city's expansion, Deverell notes. The Los Angeles River, the smallest, was adequate for a small pioneer town but quickly proved insufficient for the city's aspirations. "It supplied the city's fresh water needs until about 1900, but it was a temperamental little river that was prone to flooding," Deverell says. By the early 20th century, the city had decided to solve the problem by creating a concrete channel that whisked water from the mountains to the ocean as speedily as possible. "We wouldn't do that quite the same way today, because we'd be worried about sending all that water out to the ocean without trying to capture it. But back then they didn't think that way," Deverell says. The Owens River powered the city's rise in the early 20th century. The population of L.A. more than doubled in size from 192029, reaching 1.2 million by 1930. This dramatic population explosion prompted local officials to turn to another, larger source of water: the Colorado River. That aqueduct was completed in 1939. "L.A.'s history with water is that of chasing a bigger river each time," Deverell says. "The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which is dependent on the Colorado River, now has about 19 million customers. It's an absolutely gargantuan water delivery, storage and distribution system." But it was the scurrilous behavior involved in the pillaging of the Owens River to feed the Los Angeles Aqueduct in the first decades of the 20th century that has been immortalized in film. It provided the inspiration for Roman Polanski's 1974 neo-noir masterpiece "Chinatown," acclaimed as one of the best films ever made about L.A. 'Los Angeles is dying of thirst!' This doomsday warning is discovered by private eye Jake Gittes (played by Jack Nicholson) in an early scene in the movie, when he returns to his car after spying on Hollis Mulwray, the fictional chief engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and finds a note tucked under his windshield wiper. It prophesizes drought and ruin for the citizens of the city. A classic noir movie, "Chinatown," features all the usual suspects, including a femme fatale, as well as the familiar tropes of the genre: corruption, murder, a gumshoe and a dark secret. Though it is set in the 1930s (an artistic decision to showcase that era's visually striking cars and clothing), the movie's central theme has its roots in the real-life scandal that took place decades earlier when a rapidly expanding L.A. needed to secure more water to power its industries and provide for its burgeoning population. "The conflict in the film, as in real life, is about water being taken away from the Owens Valley to be used in L.A.," says University Professor Leo Braudy, Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature. As early as the late 19th century, L.A. was experiencing growing pains as it found its expansion hampered by a lack of water. In 1905, LADWP Chief Engineer William Mulholland, Mulwray's real-life counterpart, oversaw the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which diverted water to L.A. from the Owens Valley, more than 190 miles north of the city. The rights to the water and land in the valley had been acquired through some less than ethical maneuvers on the part of L.A. officials and other investors. The aqueduct, which was completed in 1913, ended up sucking the valley dry, devastating the lives of its residents, who were mostly farmers and ranchers. Yet the aqueduct project was expanded several times over the following decades. "Basically, L.A. sticks a giant straw in the Owens River and sucks the water down to L.A.," Deverell says. "Then it puts another straw in it, and another. The Owens Lake dries up, and not only have the people lost their water but the dust in the lake bed is kicked up and gets into the air, causing a lot of health problems for residents." The haves and the have-nots In both L.A.'s saltwater and freshwater battles, the city's politicians exhibited a ruthless single-mindedness that left many casualties in its wakeboth human and environmental. In the early 20th century, the Owens Valley was transformed from fertile farming land into a parched, arid region where little would grow. Starved of water, local farms and ranches failed. Since the mid-20th century, air pollution from ships and cargo trucks has plagued neighborhoods around the Port of Los Angeles, with health consequences for local residents and workers. An early scene in "Chinatown" warns of the humanitarian costs, showing L.A. officials gathered at a town hall meeting to discuss a water project. An angry farmer walks down the center aisle with his sheep, yelling at the bureaucrats that he no longer has enough water for his livestock and asking what they plan to do to help him. He is quickly shooed out of the building. "Owens Valley is a situation where big, brawny L.A. decided they would push around a small community," Deverell says. "And before L.A. came, white Americans had seized the land from the Paiute Indians. So, there's this recurring story of the powerful snatching up water resources." Braudy, professor of English and art history, agrees, noting that L.A.'s so-called "Water Wars" illustrate the city's loss of innocence, foreshadowing its rapid rise to become a major metropolis with all the power, corruption and lies that entailed. He points to one particularly symbolic scene in "Chinatown" that encapsulates the growing divisions in class and privilege in the city. After the disrupted town hall meeting during which the embattled farmer's pleas for water for his livestock are dismissed, Gittes drives to Mulwray's house in Pasadena. The shot pans out as his car enters the long driveway, flanked on either side by a carpet of bright green grass. Gittes walks past a man hosing down one of Mulwray's cars to reach the backyard, where well-tended plants and trees surround a rock pool with a running waterfall. "We need to grapple with the fact that water is obviously critical to our survival, but it invites people who want to monopolize water resources," Deverell says. "We have to make sure that the decisions we make about water in the 21st century are as democratically derived as possible. We've got to push water out of its dark past in L.A. and into the sunshine." Explore further Waterways in Brazil's Manaus choked by tons of trash Staff Scientist Daniele Filippetto working on the High Repetition-Rate Electron Scattering Apparatus. Credit: Thor Swift/Berkeley Lab Scientists have developed a new machine-learning platform that makes the algorithms that control particle beams and lasers smarter than ever before. Their work could help lead to the development of new and improved particle accelerators that will help scientists unlock the secrets of the subatomic world. Daniele Filippetto and colleagues at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) developed the setup to automatically compensate for real-time changes to accelerator beams and other components, such as magnets. Their machine learning approach is also better than contemporary beam control systems at both understanding why things fail, and then using physics to formulate a response. A paper describing the research was published late last year in Nature Scientific Reports. "We are trying to teach physics to a chip, while at the same time providing it with the wisdom and experience of a senior scientist operating the machine," said Filippetto, a staff scientist at the Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics Division (ATAP) at Berkeley Lab and deputy director of the Berkeley Accelerator Controls and Instrumentation Program (BACI) program. Their research also has the potential to impact multiple applied fields of particle accelerators, ranging from autonomous operations in industrial and medical settings to increased precision in scientific applications, such as linear colliders and ultrafast free electron lasers. The novel technique was demonstrated at the High Repetition-Rate Electron Scattering Apparatus (HiRES) accelerator at Berkeley Lab in collaboration with researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and UCLA. The main application of the HiRES beamline is performing structural dynamics experiments on novel quantum materials. The instrument has contributed to numerous scientific discoveries such as performing the first-ever ultrafast electron diffraction studies of optical melting of tantalum ditelluride, a material with interesting and potentially useful properties. Now, this novel machine is showing its usefulness to develop new methods for controlling broad classes of accelerators. Particle accelerators produce and accelerate beams of charged particles, such as electrons, protons, and ions, of atomic and subatomic size. As the machines become more powerful and complex, control and optimization of the particle or laser beam becomes more important to meet the needs of scientific, medical, and industrial applications. Filippetto and colleagues at the BACI program are leading the global development of machine learning tools. These tools provide a platform to develop smart algorithms that react quickly and precisely to unforeseen perturbances, learn from their mistakes, and adopt the best strategy for reaching or maintaining the target beam setpoint. The tools they are developing have the added advantage of providing an accurate model of the overall behavior of a particle accelerator system, no matter the complexity. Controllers can use these new and improved capabilities to make more effective real-time decisions. Early Career Research Scientist Dan Wang working on the piezo inertia motor controllers to drive piezo mirrors, for laser alignment in the coherent laser combining system. Credit: Thor Swift/Berkeley Lab The present focus of Filippetto's work is using the power and prediction of machine learning tools to increase the overall stability of particle beams. "If you can predict the beam properties with an accuracy that surpasses their fluctuations, you can then use the prediction to increase the performance of the accelerator," he said. "Real time knowledge of key beam parameters would have an enormous impact on the final accuracy of experiments." At first, such an approach could seem unlikely to produce accurate results, similar to challenges with stock market behavior prediction, but early results from the group are promising. In fact, the algorithm used, which is based on neural network models, shows a tenfold increase in the precision of predicted beam parameters compared to typical statistical analysis. In related work, a recent Halbach award went to Simon Leemann, staff scientist in the Accelerator Physics Group in ATAP, and collaborators for developing machine learning control methods that improve the performance of the Advanced Light Source by stabilizing the highly relativistic electron beam at the experimental source points by roughly one order of magnitude, an unprecedented level. In related research published in Optics Express, Dan Wang, a research scientist in the BACI group who began her career at Berkeley Lab three years ago as a post-doctoral researcher, is using machine learning tools to advance the technology of control in complex laser systems. In Wang's case the ultimate goal is to be able to precisely combine hundreds of ultra-intense laser pulses in one powerful and coherent beam the size of a human hair. In a coherent beam, the phase of each input laser must be controlled within a few degrees of error, which is very challenging. The laser energy can be combined in different ways but in all cases, it is imperative that the coherence of the beam array be stabilized against environmental perturbations such as thermal drift, air fluctuations, or even the movement of the supporting table. To do this, Wang and her colleagues developed a neural network model that is 10 times faster at correcting for system errors in the combined laser array than other conventional methods. The model they developed is also capable of teaching the system to recognize phase errors and parameter change in the lasers and to autocorrect for perturbations when they occur. The researchers' method works in both simulations and experiments in lasers, where unprecedented control performance was achieved. The next step in the research is to implement machine learning models on edge computers such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for faster response, and also to demonstrate the generalization of this machine-learning based control method in more complex systems where there are far more variables to account for. "I come from an accelerator background, but during my post-doc, my colleagues really helped me to embrace the power of machine learning," Wang said. "What I've learned is that machine learning is a powerful tool to solve a lot of different problems, but you always have to use your physics to guide in how you use and apply it." "To meet the needs of new science, this work exemplifies active feedback and machine learning methods that are crucial enablers for the next generation of accelerator and laser performance to power new photon sources and future particle colliders," said Cameron Geddes, director of the Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics Division. More information: Alexander Scheinker et al, An adaptive approach to machine learning for compact particle accelerators, Scientific Reports (2021). Alexander Scheinker et al, An adaptive approach to machine learning for compact particle accelerators,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98785-0 Dan Wang et al, Stabilization of the 81-channel coherent beam combination using machine learning, Optics Express (2021). DOI: 10.1364/OE.414985 Journal information: Scientific Reports , Optics Express Plastic pellets on the beach: The degradation of the particles is already in full swing. Credit: WiTUS/Franz Brummer There are over 5 billion plastic particles floating on the surface of our oceansmuch to the detriment of the living organisms, the delicate underwater ecosystem, and even the climate. Until now, it was possible to determine how long it takes for the plastic to completely degrade only by extrapolating from laboratory data. But researchers at the University of Stuttgart have recently conducted a study on plastic pellets released in a shipwreck in the Red Sea. This has led to a better understanding of the aging of plastic. The results were reported in Scientific Reports on July 13, 2022. It was a shipwreck for the benefit of science. In June 1993, the cargo ship SS Hamada sustained severe damage in heavy seas above a coral reef off the coast of Egypt, broke in two, and sankfully loaded with plastic granulesin the middle of a nature reserve. But the disaster also offered an opportunity. Some of the plastic pellets washed up on the beach, while the rest remained in the flooded holds of the wreck until today. This provided the first opportunity for researchers to conduct comparative studies on the degradation of the plastic pellets under vastly different conditions. It had previously been estimated that it would take anywhere between several centuries and several millennia for polyethyleneone of the most common plasticsto be completely degraded in the oceans. However, these figures are subject to considerable uncertainty because the extrapolations are based largely on laboratory tests. "Long-term studies on the degradation of plastic in the oceans have been lacking up to now because, among other things, it is not possible to determine the precise age of the plastic waste," say Prof. Dr. Franz Brummer and Uwe Schnepf from the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems (IBBS) at the University of Stuttgart. The two scientists lead a consortium that includes the Scientific Diving Group (WiTUS) and the Institute of Polymer Technology at the University of Stuttgart, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and an Egyptian cooperation partner. In 2016, plastic pellets were initially collected from both the wreck (during scientific dives) and the beach. The consortium then examined these pellet samples using different methods. Divers of the Scientific Diving Group of the University of Stuttgart at the wreck of the SS Hamada. Credit: WiTUS/Franz Brummer Large differences in degradation The microscopic, chemical, and mechanical tests quickly revealed major differences with regard to the degradation processes. "While the degradation of the plastic pellets on the beach is already in full swing, the plastic pellets trapped in the wreck at 18 m below water show hardly any signs of degradation," say Brummer and Schnepf. The results of the Stuttgart study thus contribute to a better understanding of the influence of various environmental factors such as UV radiation, high temperatures, and large temperature differences on the aging of plastic, thereby providing more accurate knowledge of the degradation of plastics in the ocean. Explore further Not all biodegradable plastic degrades more easily in the ocean More information: Franz Brummer et al, In situ laboratory for plastic degradation in the Red Sea, Scientific Reports (2022). Journal information: Scientific Reports Franz Brummer et al, In situ laboratory for plastic degradation in the Red Sea,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15310-7 Crowdfunding pages like this one can help raise money from people who support climate action, but they can also energize opponents. Credit: Sanorita Dey, CC BY-ND The success of politicians in the U.S. largely depends on the amount of funding they receive from various sources. Although political action committees contribute considerably to elections, a recent survey showed that grassroots contributionsgifts under US$200are equally crucial and contribute a sizable amount. Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign raised 69% of its funding from small donors. Traditionally, volunteers went door to door to solicit donations from individuals. Today, politicians use social media to encourage their supporters to donate and eventually vote for them. Many politicians such as senators Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz have turned to this sort of political crowdfunding. The primary objective of political crowdfunding is to assist politicians in raising funds directly from individual donors. However, it's also crucial for assessing the acceptance of politicians' political agendas among potential supporters. Crowdfunding can reach and create loyalty from a much broader group than a party's usual base, while minimizing the party's and donors' time and effort. Although political crowdfunding is potentially becoming a way to build a strong sense of community, the impact of these campaigns may go far beyond that. These campaigns often focus on socially divisive partisan issues such as gun control and climate change. Discussions on these issues can influence potential supporters to develop highly polarized opinions on partisan issues. As a computer scientist who researches social media and persuasion, I've studied whether casual exposure to political crowdfunding campaigns might create a long-lasting sense of disapproval on partisan issues, even when those issues are not being discussed as part of a political fundraising campaign. My colleagues and I found that casual exposure to these campaigns can influence people's opinions on politically sensitive issues such as climate change. These influences can stay active for many days and can influence people's decisions on the same topic, even when it is not discussed by a politician in a political campaign. Lasting influence of political crowdfunding campaigns Our team recruited subjects from Amazon Mechanical Turk, an online platform for hiring people according to various criteria. We hired them in two groups: the first group supported the Democratic Party, and the other group supported the Republican Party. We first showed all of our subjects a political crowdfunding campaign of a politician from the political party that they did not support. This process allowed us to present the argument about climate change from a particular perspective we believed the subjects would not naturally support because of their political ideology. After this casual exposure to a political crowdfunding campaign, we notified the subjects that the study was completed. In reality, we recruited the same group of people after 10 days as part of a new study, and this time they were asked to consider an online charitable event indirectly related to climate change. Subjects who supported the Democratic Party were asked to guess a donation amount that they would be comfortable to pledge for a movement where organizers were trying to help people who lost their jobs in closed coal mines because of the climate action law. Supporters of the Republican Party were asked to do the same task of guessing the appropriate donation amount, but the movement was about planting trees in Central America to stop the effects of severe deforestation. Both groups refused to donate any money to their assigned cause. Initially, we found this result disappointing but not surprising, considering that we were challenging their fundamental beliefs on climate change. However, we decided to take a second look at our findings when our team did the same experiment one more time with a new group of people. This time we did not show a political crowdfunding campaign to any of the subjects. Instead, we showed them a news article about a politician, although the article did not show any information about the donation amount received by the politician from the supporters. All other details of these two experiments were the same. This time, to our surprise, subjects did not hesitate to donate a sizable amount to charitable movements irrespective of their political ideology. This made us wonder whether and how the casual exposure to the political crowdfunding campaign influenced the first group of subjects who took a rather challenging decision of not donating anything to the charitable movements. After close observation, we concluded that it was not the content. Rather, it was the structure of the political crowdfunding campaigns that left a long-lasting influence on our subjects. The political crowdfunding campaign not only presented the perspective of the politician on climate change but also showed how much money had been donated to that campaign. The clear signal of a significant amount of support for a politician from the supporters of the opposition party influenced their future actions, including decisions to donate, related to climate change movements. Although the news article presented the same arguments about climate change, it did not noticeably influence the second group of subjects because it did not show a direct signal of support in the form of monetary donations. Why it matters Political crowdfunding is widely considered a new and convenient medium for raising funding from grassroots supporters. Most studies on crowdfunding have focused on strategies that can raise more money from a diverse audience. Our study examined the impact of such campaigns on people's opinions on partisan topics. Our research suggests that people's opinions can become polarized based on information they see in surprising places, and that impact can last for an extended period of time. The implications of our findings are critical because they suggest that people can double down on their views rather than considering the merits of a position when they are processing information from online platformsespecially on sensitive and divisive issues such as climate change. Explore further Survey: Nearly 1 in 3 contribute to a crowdfunding drive This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain New research has discovered that Muslims' so-called "sociocultural attitudes" cannot explain their poor labor market outcomes in the British labor market. The findings, published in Ethnic and Racial Studies, challenge a pervasive narrative that problematizes Muslims and their faith, providing empirical evidence that comparatively high Muslim unemployment and inactivity rates cannot be explained by their so-called "sociocultural attitudes." In doing so, the study lends support to the overwhelming evidence from field experiments that shows anti-Muslim discrimination towards Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim to be a significant barrier to their accessing work. Samir Sweida-Metwally, doctoral researcher at Bristol's School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies and author of the paper, explained, "It is well established that Muslims experience the greatest faith penalty in the labor market relative to any other religious groups even after adjusting for factors that are likely to impact employment, such as education, age, region, language proficiency, and health. While some academics argue that discrimination is likely to be an important driver of these penalties, others suggest that factors related to cultural values are the cause, particularly among women. In the context of Muslims, these 'internal cultural factors,' namely 'tastes for isolation,' and particularly for women, a supposed commitment to 'traditional gender norms,' are assumed to stem from their religion." In the paper, Mr. Sweida-Metwally analyzed 10 years of data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, one of the largest surveys of its kind, which gathers information on the socioeconomic situation and cultural contexts from around 40,000 households. He explained, "I wanted to know if the Muslim penalty, among men and women, really disappears once so-called 'sociocultural attitudes are accounted for, as some have suggested. Specifically, are religiosity, traditionalist views, and lower civic participation associated with a higher risk of unemployment and inactivity?" The paper found no such association. Another important contribution is that the paper questions the contention that amongst men, the ethnic penalty is best understood as resulting primarily from two penaltiescolor and religionand suggests that a country-of-origin penalty may also be at play. The risk of a penalty, particularly in terms of unemployment, was also found to remain considerably high for Black African and Black Caribbean men regardless of whether they practiced or identified with a religious faith, providing strong evidence in support of previous research that established that the British labor market is hierarchized based on skin color. Mr. Sweida-Metwally now aims to advance a more complete view of religious and ethno-religious inequalities in the British labor market. Explore further Book examines scope of political and social attitudes among devout Muslims More information: Samir Sweida-Metwally, Does the Muslim penalty in the British labour market dissipate after accounting for so-called "sociocultural attitudes"?, Ethnic and Racial Studies (2022). Journal information: Ethnic and Racial Studies Samir Sweida-Metwally, Does the Muslim penalty in the British labour market dissipate after accounting for so-called "sociocultural attitudes"?,(2022). DOI: 10.1080/01419870.2022.2097887 Angel Cardenas, a freshman at Hiram Johnson High School, wears his mask as he works on a math worksheet, Monday, June 6, 2022, the first day of the return to mandatory masking at all Sacramento City Unified School District sites, in Sacramento, Calif. Despite a year of disruptions, students largely made academic gains this past year that paralleled their growth pre-pandemic and outpaced the previous school year, according to new research released Tuesday, July 19, 2022, from NWEA, a nonprofit research group that administers standardized tests. Credit: Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP, File Despite a year of disruptions, students largely made academic gains this past year that paralleled their growth pre-pandemic and outpaced the previous school year, according to new research released Tuesday from NWEA, a nonprofit research group that administers standardized tests. Gains across income levels partially closed the gap in learning that resulted from the pandemic, researchers found. But students in high-poverty schools had fallen further behind, making it likely they will need more time than their higher-income peers to make a full recovery. The results are a measured sign of hope for academic recovery from COVID-19. But sustained effort and investment in education remain crucial. "These signs of rebounding are especially heartening during another challenging school year of more variants, staff shortages, and a host of uncertainties. We think that speaks volumes to the tremendous effort put forth by our schools to support students," Karyn Lewis, director of the Center for School and Student Progress at NWEA, and the study's co-author, said in a statement. The study used data from more than 8 million students who took the MAP Growth assessment in reading and math during the three school years impacted by COVID. Those numbers were then compared with data from three years before the pandemic. Kindergarten teacher Karen Drolet, left, works with a student at Raices Dual Language Academy, a public school in Central Falls, R.I., Feb. 9, 2022. Despite a year of disruptions, students largely made academic gains this past year that paralleled their growth pre-pandemic and outpaced the previous school year, according to new research released Tuesday, July 19, 2022, from NWEA, a nonprofit research group that administers standardized tests. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman, File The study found that if rebounding occurs at the same pace it did in the 2021-2022 school year, the timeline for a full recovery would likely reach beyond the 2024 deadline for schools to spend their federal funds. For the average elementary school student, researchers projected it would take three years to reach where they would have been without the pandemic. For older students, recovery could take much longer. Across grade levels, subject and demographic groups, the exact timeline can vary widely and researchers found most students will need more than the two years where increased federal funding is available. Some of the most successful interventions for students involved increasing instructional time, ranging from more class time, intensive tutoring, or high-quality summer programming, said Lindsay Dworkin, senior vice president for policy and communications at NWEA. But those initiatives can be costly and complex, and districts may hesitate to implement them when recovery funds have a fast-approaching deadline to be spent. "The funding expires in such a short amount of time that districts are really struggling with, 'What can I do that will be big and impactful and I only need to do for two years?'" Dworkin said in an interview. "I think if they knew that there would be more federal money coming and that it would be sustained, that would make all the difference both in the kind of creativity we would see from states and districts." Dworkin also said that while the study looked at national trends, understanding the unique and specific local context was essential to figuring out how to best support children in schools. In addition to variation across student groups, districts that share similar characteristics, such as demographics and poverty levels, still showed large variation in student outcomes. "If you are a district leader, there's just no national story that is going to tell you enough about your district context, without the hard work of digging into the data and understanding what it says and then tailoring the interventions to match," Dworkin said. Explore further Remote learning likely widened racial, economic achievement gap 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Blazes in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain have destroyed thousands of hectares of land. A fierce heatwave left western Europe sweltering on Tuesday, fuelling ferocious wildfires and stretching emergency services, as it swept north and pushed temperatures in Britain over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time. After the UK's warmest night on record, the Met Office said 40.2C had been provisionally recorded by lunchtime at Heathrow Airport, in west London, taking the country into uncharted territory. Britain's previous all-time temperature record of 38.7C, set in Cambridge in eastern England in 2019, had already been smashed earlier Tuesday. "For the first time ever, 40 Celsius has provisionally been exceeded in the UK," the Met Office meteorological agency said, warning "temperatures are still climbing in many places". Experts blame climate change for the latest heatwave and note the more frequent extreme weather will only worsen in years to come. The high temperatures have triggered an unprecedented red alert for extreme heat in much of England, where some rail lines were closed as a precaution and schools shuttered in some areas. All trains were cancelled from London's usually busy Kings Cross station, leaving many travellers stranded. "It's a little frustrating," said American tourist Deborah Byrne, trying to reach Scotland. The Met Office said 40.2C had been provisionally recorded by lunchtime at Heathrow Airport outside London. But with road surfaces and runways melting and rails buckling, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps conceded much of Britain's infrastructure "is just not built for this temperature". Tim Wainwright, chief executive of the charity WaterAid, said the situation should be "the wake-up call the world needs to stop climate change from claiming any more lives". Wildfires In France, towns and cities in the country's west registered their highest-ever temperatures Monday, the national weather office said. The western region of Brittanynormally cool and often wet in summerset new record highs Monday above 40C. Despite cooler air from the Atlantic offering some respite there Tuesday, dozens of departments remained on orange alert, with temperatures still expected to top 40C in the east and south and violent thunderstorms forecast locally. Heatwave in Britain. The heatwavethe second to engulf parts of Europe in recent weekshas contributed to deadly wildfires in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain, destroying vast tracts of land. Firefighters in France's southwest were still struggling to contain two massive fires that have caused widespread destruction and forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. Nearly 1,700 firefighters from all over the country, supported by significant air resources, are battling the two blazes that have so far burned more than 19,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of forest. "It's heartbreaking," said Patrick Davet, mayor of La Teste-de-Buch, the site of one inferno which has prompted mass evacuations. "Economically, it's going to be very difficult for them and very difficult for the town because we are a tourist town, and we need the (tourist) season." In Brittany's Finistere region, hundreds of firefighters, specialised vehicles and waterbombing aircraft were tackling blazes. Spanish firefighters are battling several wildfires as temperatures reach 43C. Deaths In Spainnearly 10 days into the latest heatwavemore than a dozen fires continued to rage Tuesday, including in the northwest province of Zamora, which already experienced a huge fire last month. Known as one of the largest wolf reserves in Europe, it saw nearly 30,000 hectares of land reduced to ashes during the June blaze. Nearly 6,000 people had to be evacuated from there this week after flames destroyed several thousand hectares of meadows and forests, regional authorities said. Rail traffic between Madrid and Galicia, in the northwest, remained suspended after fires on either side of the tracks. Several people have died in recent days due to the blazes while separately, an office worker in his 50s died from heatstroke in Madrid. In Portugal, more than 1,400 firefighters were fighting fires in the centre and north of the country, despite a clear drop in temperatures in recent days. Heatwave in Europe. A couple in their 70s died Monday after they ran off the road while trying to escape the flames in their car. Almost the entire country has been on high alert for wildfires despite a slight drop in temperatures, which last Thursday hit 47Ca record for July. The fires have already killed two other people, injured around 60 and destroyed between 12,000 and 15,000 hectares of land there. Heat Elsewhere, temperatures could locally exceed 40C in Belgium near the French border, prompting the Royal Meteorological Institute to issue its highest alert level. Big state-run museums, primarily in Brussels, took the unusual step of offering free access Tuesday to over-65s to help them stay cool. In Germany, temperatures were expected to reach up to 40C in the west. On Monday, two firefighters were injured while beating back a forest fire in a mountainous area in Saxony state. Smoke threatens the beaches close to the forest fire at southwest France's La Teste-de-Buch. Henning Christ, 31, said his farm in Germany was about 20 percent below its average annual yield. The hot summer so far has raised fears of drought, with the German Farmers' Association president warning of "major losses" in food production. Henning Christ, who grows wheat and other crops in Brandenburg state, told AFP his farm was 20 percent below its average annual yield. "We've had almost no rain for months, coupled with high temperatures," he said. "We have become used to drought and dry periods to some extent, but this year has been very unusual." Explore further Britain, France brace for temperature records as Europe fires rage 2022 AFP A firefighter battles a wildfire near the village of Pumarejo de Tera in northwestern Spain. Just a month after a huge wildfire ravaged Spain's northwestern province of Zamora, flames are once again consuming swathes of the region as locals helplessly watch their land being destroyed. A column of smoke can be seen some 30 kilometres (18 miles) away as it billows into the sky, obscuring the landscape. Antonio Puga cried as he observed the desolate scene, saying he felt "desperate and helpless" as flames surrounded his village of Pumarejo de Tera. "We could have avoided all this," said Puga, who is in his sixties. In front of him fires devour the fields, making them crackle. A relentless wind revives embers and ignites pine trees. A helicopter ferried water from a nearby river and dumped it on the smouldering fields. Some 6,000 people from around 30 localities in this rural region have been evacuated from their homes since Sunday. The wildfires have claimed two livesthat of a firefighter near the village of Losacio and a shepherd whose body was found in a nearby town. They are by far the largest of the dozens of blazes raging across Spain amid a scorching heatwave affecting much of Western Europe. 'Already too late' In June, a wildfire ravaged nearly 30,000 hectares (75,000 acres) in Sierra de la Culebra, a wooded mountain range near the border with Portugal that is known for its population of wolves. Smoke rises above the Tera river. It was the biggest fire in Spain since 2004. Desperate locals try to help firefighters stamp out the flames by carrying hoses or transporting water with their tractors. But they are furious with the authorities. "Firefighters arrived late, the helicopters were there this morning, then they left at 3 pm and now we only have one," said Puga. Alberto Escade, a 48-year-old technician, was upset to see three fire trucks leave the area. "They keep saying they are overwhelmed," he said. "They arrive and then they say: It's already too late, it's lost.' They are ordered to take care of inhabited areas," he added. Local authorities respond to the criticism by saying the priority is saving human lives. The former mayor of the village, Isabel Blanco, is also upset. A month ago a wildfire ravaged one side of the road, she said as she pointed to the charred vegetation on the right. And now its ravaged the land on the other side. Firefighters were "a little late in coming," the 52-year-old said. Locals complain firefighters were slow to arrive. A fire raging in Spain's northwestern province of Zamora has so far claiemd two lives -- that of a firefigher and a shepherd. 'Forgotten Spain' She sees this as a symptom of the neglect which rural depopulated regions like Zamoraoften referred to as "forgotten Spain"suffer, a recurring political theme in the country. In Zamora, thousands of people spent the night on cots at a reception centre sent up for evacuees. Many declined to speak to the media, their minds consumed by fear that their homes won't survive the flames. Daniel Santamaria, 21, said he was on vacation at his grandparents' house when the approaching flames forced him to flee in a hurry with only a backpack. He recalls how ash-filled raindrops "left black spots as they fell". Sitting just a few metres (feet) away, Luis Rivero, 76, said he will not forget "the strong wind which carried everything away in its path" and fanned the flames. Laura Gago, a 36-year-old beekeeper from the village of Escober de Tabara, said between sobs that she has "not yet had the strength" to check on her 700 hives but estimates that "90 percent of her production is burnt". "We can't do anything against nature, the wind, the temperatures, the drought. Climate change is here. It's not going to go away," she added. Explore further Cooler weather helps Spain with fires; rain helps in Germany 2022 AFP Campaign fundraising in the 21st Congressional District is all over the map literally. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, received campaign contributions from donors in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands as she raised $1.24 million in the second quarter. Matt Castelli, one of two candidates running in an Aug. 23 primary for the Democratic nomination to challenge Stefanik, received contributions from 20 states and Washington, D.C., as he raised $320,817 in the quarter. Castelli already is on the general election ballot on the independent Moderate Party line, which his campaign established. Matt Putorti, the other Democratic candidate, received contributions from 18 states and Washington, D.C., as he raised $160,903 in the second quarter. Stefanik, a four-term incumbent, had $3.35 million in her campaign fund, as of June 30; Castelli, a former CIA counterterrorism official from the town of Saratoga, $586,866; and Putorti, a lawyer from Whitehall, $297,459, according to quarterly reports filed Sunday and Monday with the Federal Election Commission. Congressional candidates file regular campaign reports four times a year, and more frequently in the weeks directly before and after an election. The reports are required by federal law, and are intended to provide transparency about who is supporting, and potentially influencing, candidates. The reports also provide an indication of how competitive a race might be. Castelli has the second largest amount of cash on hand at this point in the race of any Democrat that has previously run against Stefanik, according to a Post-Star analysis. In 2014, Aaron Woolf had $757,834 on hand about four months before the election. Michael Derrick had $445,518 on hand in 2016, and Tedra Cobb had $98,047 and $269,943 on hand in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Castelli and Putorti both trail far behind Stefanik, about four months prior to a general election contest that is expected to be expensive. The geographic size of the district makes the general election campaign much like a New York City or urban California-style race, where campaigns rely heavily on television and radio advertising, said Robert Turner, a political science professor at Skidmore College. The once-a-decade congressional redistricting process has made advertising budgets in the regional race more costly. The redrawn 21st District encompasses four media markets, whereas the old district only encompassed three. Castellis campaign, in a news release on Monday, touted his fundraising as a reason Democrats should vote for him in the Aug. 23 primary, claiming that he is the only candidate with the resources necessary to be competitive against Elise Stefanik in the general election. The news release included a detailed comparison of fundraising between Castelli and Putorti. The strength of our fundraising highlights our campaigns growing momentum, including national buy-in to our efforts, Castelli said in the news release. Putorti, in a statement responding to Castellis campaign, said his campaign contributions have mostly been $100 or less, an indication of grassroots support. I am tremendously proud of the grassroots support our campaign has received, he said. Putorti said it is wrong for Castelli to think that he is entitled to the Democratic nomination. Putorti reiterated his criticism of Castelli for establishing an independent ballot line in the general election. Castelli has said the independent line will attract independent-minded voters in the general election who may not be willing to vote on the Democratic line. But Putorti has said that if Castelli loses the Democratic primary, the independent ballot line will siphon off votes that might otherwise have been cast on the Democratic line. Stefaniks fundraising report does not include contributions to her separate E-PAC political action committee, which supports women Republican candidates. Im incredibly humbled and thankful for the outpouring of support for my re-election campaign from grassroots patriots in the North Country, Upstate New York, and all across America, Stefanik said, in a news release. Team Elise has never been in a stronger position. Elsewhere in the region, in the 20th Congressional District, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, raised $302,801 in the second quarter, and Republican challenger Liz Lemery Joy $214,294. Joy, a former blogger and speaker from Schenectady, out-raised Tonko by more than 3-to-1 in so-called small dollar contributions of less than $200 per donor. Tonko received $21,017 in small dollar donations, considered an indicator of grassroots organizing, while Joy received $75,982. Tonko received $188,515 from political action committees, and Joy $11,150. Tonko had $1.2 million in his campaign fund, as of June 30, and Joy $252,092. Full campaign finance reports can be viewed at fec.gov. Its been over a year since Matthew Putorti first declared his campaign for Congress in New Yorks 21st Congressional District, and with the primary election less than two months away, he said hes as confident as ever in his chances to secure the Democratic nomination. As hes talked with voters and pushed his campaign forward, Putorti has long been the more progressive mainline candidate in the race, running proudly on Democratic principles. In an interview Monday, he said there are too many issues facing the average American today to do anything but propose radical change with the American everyman in mind. My candidacy is different, he said. Im a gay Catholic man from rural America, I grew up in a town of about 4,000 people that my family has been in for generations, and I know we can make progress if we work together, if we fight like hell, because we dont have a choice anymore. Putorti said the economy is the main concern on the minds of the people he speaks with, as prices for everyday goods skyrocket at historic rates. He said voters are asking for a government that takes bold action to correct economic turbulence and ultimately solve the deeper economic issues, like growing inequality between the rich and the poor. Putorti supports raising taxes on high earners and corporations, and has talked about expanding social programs with that money, like Medicare and Social Security. The second thing people have been talking to me about, probably unsurprisingly, is the overturn of Roe and what that means for the future of womens rights, and what it signals for the future of other rights that we have that are likely to be under attack, including LGBTQ rights, he said. Since the Supreme Court of the U.S. voted to overturn the Roe and Casey decisions that had established and reiterated the constitutional right to an abortion, many states have moved further and used that decision to restrict health care access for transgender people under 18. The opinion of Justice Clarence Thomas stated that the court decisions that ended restrictions on same-sex sexual contact, same-sex marriage and contraception need to also be reconsidered and potentially overturned. Putorti has spent years as a lawyer supporting LGBTQ+ causes. He has said he supports codifying the right to an abortion into law if elected to Congress, and has similarly pledged to protect LGBTQ+ rights if elected. The third most prominent issue he said hes heard about from voters is their desire to see an end to mass shootings in the U.S. Following a string of tragic mass shootings, at a Tops grocery store in Buffalo, an elementary school in Texas, a Fourth of July parade in Illinios, and many other public places, public support for gun control laws has spiked, something Putorti said hes seen here in the north country as well. Im proud to be the only candidate in this race whos come out in favor of an assault weapons ban, he said. As he campaigns, Putorti is running for the Democratic nomination against Matt Castelli, a former CIA officer and counterterrorism official. Castelli recently established an independent line on the general election ballot, under the self-named Moderate Party. He said he believes there needs to be a coming-together of Democrats, Republicans and independents, a return to compromise and a foundation of facts. Putorti has criticized Castelli for the move. He said it shows Castelli isnt respecting the wishes of the Democrats hes campaigning for support from, and said now isnt the time for centrism. I dont think this is the time for moderation, Putorti said. Our economy isnt working for the middle class, womens rights are under attack, and now theyre coming for LGBTQ rights. Our planet is on fire, the Jan. 6 hearings have shown us again that the threats to our democracy are growing, they arent going away, and children are being shot in school. He said he thinks Castelli is touting moderate policies in a bid to appeal to a broad voter base, and said he personally believes its better to stick with the party he believes represents his ideals. Im a proud Democrat, Ive always been a proud Democrat, he said. Im running for this nomination of the party I believe best represents the values I will fight for in Congress, and I wont moderate those beliefs just to try to win an election. With such a significant burden on voters minds, and many hot-button issues being fiercely, sometimes violently debated on the national stage, Americans are reporting less faith in the system than ever before. A recent poll from Siena College and The New York Times found that 58% of people believe the U.S. government needs major reform or complete overhaul. Republicans reported discontent mainly because theyve lost faith in the voting process after years of false election fraud claims from Republican elected officials and former President Donald Trump. Democrats are discontent because, even as their party controls the White House and the Congress, Republican goals like the overturn of Roe have come to pass thanks to Republicans in statehouses and conservatives on the Supreme Court. Putorti said he has seen that discontent with the system in the north country too. Its in these moments that I tell people we have to act the most, he said. We survived four years of the Trump presidency, we survived a pandemic that seems to have shifted to something were living with on a daily basis now, it hasnt gone away. In these moments, we have to act, we have to fight. He said the people feeling dejected about the current state of the U.S. have to use their vote, and their voice, to force a change and protect what they view as important. He said he believes he represents the fresh, new and needed voice to make that change. Putorti said hes proud of his hometown roots in Whitehall, where he was born, raised and educated. Hes the only candidate, Democrat or Republican, who grew up in the north country. Even with his local roots and long campaign, Putorti has trailed his opponents in many measures. Hes now the lowest earner in the race, with about $823,000 raised since he first declared his campaign in June 2021. After an initially surprising fundraising push, with over $100,000 raised within the first 15 hours of his campaign, Castelli has overtaken him as the highest-earning Democrat in the race. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the incumbent Republican candidate, remains the highest earner overall by a factor of millions. Castelli has also picked up wide support from Democratic party committees and chairpeople across the district, and has a significantly larger volunteer base than Putorti. Still, Putorti said hes confident in his campaigns strength, with a still-sizable campaign war chest, and his history growing up in the north country. He said he believes voters are tired of having people move to the district, having had little to no past living in the region beforehand, and running for Congress. Congresswoman Stefanik grew up in Albany, and Castelli grew up in Poughkeepsie. We need someone who actually cares about the district, and thats the message thats resonating with people and thats why I know that we have great support across this district, he said. The primary election where Democrats in NY-21 will choose between Putorti and Castelli is scheduled for Aug. 23, with early voting opening on Aug. 12. The winner of that race will go on to oppose Stefanik in the general election, but with Castelli having secured a third-party line, it is possible that Novembers election will be a three-way race. ATLANTIC CITY Ralph Hunter has been collecting artifacts from Black history in South Jersey for decades, but what he recently obtained is something he considers the greatest find of southern New Jersey. An antique tool chest and a collection of tools believed to have belonged to Lucy Harris-Jackson the last person believed to have been recorded as a slave in South Jersey by the U.S. Census Bureau was unveiled Monday at The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey. Hunter, the founder of the museum, thanked those who donated the gift and said he was ecstatic about the chance to preserve history. It means more to me than anything thats ever happened in southern New Jersey, that once again the African American (Heritage) Museum is in a position to receive such a great gift, Hunter said. About two dozen people gathered in the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University to see the chest and discuss Harris-Jackson and her role in history. Keeta Kay Cole, a former science teacher, donated the chest. She recalled how her father, who grew up outside of Pleasantville, used to have the chest. He had received it from his aunt, who in turn received it from her family. The aunt and her relatives had passed on an oral, family tradition saying that the chest had belonged to the last person who had been enslaved in Atlantic County. Trying to downsize, Cole decided she wanted to do something with the chest and its tools to honor the history. Its always just been down in my parents basement, Cole said. Its got a home, its not going to sale, its going to history and I got goosebumps. She eventually connected with Robert Barnett, an amateur historian of the region who had written an article about Harris-Jackson and her status as the last person to be enslaved in South Jersey. Barnett poured through census data and other historical records relating to Harris-Jackson and ultimately determined a plausible timeline of how the tool chest was passed down over time. He delivered a presentation about his findings to the audience gathered at the Arts Garage. It kind of goes full circle, Barnett, recalling how he first got in touch with both Cole and Hunter based on his research into the last person recorded as a slave in South Jersey. Lucy Harris-Jackson, who went by several names and was given several different ages over inconsistent census records, was born circa 1780, according to Barnetts research, and died sometime after November 1871. He found a record of sale that indicated Harris-Jackson had been enslaved by Mary English at a property on Steelmanville Road, before she was sold to and enslaved by William Holdcraft in 1838. The 1850 U.S. Census, while not giving names, indicated that a slave was residing at Holdcraft household, located in what was then Egg Harbor Township. Barnett is confident that the person enslaved at the household was Lucy Harris-Jackson, who he believes to be the Lucy listed at the Holdcraft household in the 1860 and 1870 Censuses. Harris-Jacksons presumed appearance on the 1850 Census made her the last slave recorded in South Jersey. Abigail Holdcrafts 1871 will asked that Harris-Jackson be set at liberty, even though the ratification of the 13th Amendment had formally ended slavery throughout the United States six years earlier. Harris-Jacksons son, Sampson Rattler, was born sometime before 1810 and died on July 16, 1882. He lived and worked on the property owned by Jonathan Albertson and his wife Asenath Lake Collins and next door to the property of Asenaths brother Daniel Lake Collins. Rattler, Barnett theorizes, inherited the tool chest from his mother. It was then obtained by Asenath, who in turn passed it on Joseph Baker Collins, who in turned passed it on to Nettie Bertholf Collins. Lewis Risley Wolfe then inherited from Collins, his aunt, and passed it on to his daughter Keeta Kay Cole nee Wolfe. Cole had taken the chest and its tools from her home in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in Lancaster County. Barnett, while previously an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration and a former South Jersey resident, emigrated to Ontario, Canada. He made the trip back down to South Jersey for the unveiling of the chest at the Atlantic City museum. Brett Barbin, the deputy chief of staff for the 2nd state Legislative District, said that Assemblyman Don Guardian, R-Atlantic, had been planning to attend but was feeling sick. Its really an honor to be here representing the state of New Jersey and to recognize this important contribution to Ralphs already wonderful collection, Barbin said at the event. They (the artifacts at the museum) show what the African American contribution has been to South Jersey throughout history. Cole was visibly moved by the day. When someone rang a chime-like bell in the collection of tools that she had heard as a child, Cole began to tear up. She said that she was proud to be doing work to preserve history. I think part of it is simply because its taken that many generations to fully appreciate what it is and what it was, what the history of it was, and (that history) needs to be told to other people, Cole said. Hunter promised Cole during the ceremony that he would be committed to preserving the chest for posterity. We plan to be a great steward for this chest and these tools, and that theyll be around for the next three, four hundred years, Hunter said. Its important to hold onto history, especially South Jersey history. The chest will be displayed at the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey until September, when the museum, which puts on many traveling shows, will figure out how else it can be used to honor the history of South Jersey. ATLANTIC CITY About a dozen people attending the NAACP Convention Monday heard professional opinions about how new voting laws will have a grim effect on minorities and people with disabilities unless theyre able to be overturned. These laws should be invalid under a rational basis because I cant see a rational basis for these laws, said Gary Bledsoe, chairperson of the Texas NAACP Legal Redress, while giving the group a presentation virtually. A virtual panel spoke on Monday morning before Vice President Kamala Harris address as part of the 113th Annual NAACP Conventions programming. Bledsoe and others speaking over a Zoom call discussed numerous changes to voting rights and registration ahead of the 2022 midterm elections in November as Republicans look to gain leverage throughout the country. Several states, including Texas, have enacted laws that Bledsoe and many argue disproportionally affect Black and Latino voters. The laws critics and Democratic lawmakers have argued that Republican-led states have created these laws to gain an advantage as they look to regain seats in the U.S. House and Senate, ultimately returning the partys management to both chambers, the panelists said. Texas legislation limits early voting times, which Bledsoe says are particularly utilized by Black and minority voters. They also limit how public officials encourage people to vote. Defying the new regulations can result in criminal charges, he said. The laws that are being designed today are all interlocked, Bledsoe said. Theres indeed a strategy thats been put together in order to provide a permanent, hostile takeover of the country and overthrow democracy. Bledsoe finds the growing trend in voter laws across multiple states worrisome, but theres hope they may be overturned through legal challenges. Florida, like Texas, is another state that has tightened voting laws. Khalilah Spencer, chairperson of the Michigan NAACP Legal Redress, highlighted portions of the legislation package Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law, particularly with mail-in ballots. Under Florida law, various identification information, including a drivers license number and last four digits of a Social Security number, is needed for a Sunshine State voter to request a vote-by-mail ballot. The law also only allows requests for a vote-by-mail ballot for the next general election cycle, rather than two, Spencer said. Spencer also highlighted legal fights to have Floridas legislation overturned. Floridas laws have been challenged for the opinion they unjustly target Black voters. However, the law was permitted to be reinstated in May after a federal appeals court granted Floridas request to reinstate portions of the law. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals said that Judge Mark Walkers March ruling that the law intentionally targeted Black voters was flawed. The three-judge panel said there wasnt evidence the law was passed with the intent to discriminate, and issued the stay as an appeal continues. Walker overturned a provision of the law limiting when people could use a drop box to submit their ballot, along with a section prohibiting anyone from engaging with people waiting to vote. Walker said the latter provision discourages groups who give food, water, and other forms of encouragement to voters waiting in long lines from continuing to do so. While legal fights against voting laws throughout the country continue, the panelists say voters should unify ahead of November to inform each other about ballot places and other voting means. Having a strong voter backbone is crucial in preserving democracy, said Marcia Johnson-Blanco, of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Local elections, Spencer said, arent emphasized enough, and ultimately make a difference in the government. Communities across the country are presidential-election centric and dont concentrate on how local legislators impact well beings. If we can get back to those basics, we can make an impact because those are the people we can know, those are the people we can influence, Spencer said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. A Little Egg Harbor Township man pleaded guilty Monday to receiving images of child sexual abuse as well as tempting a minor to send him explicit photos. David M. Frew, 41, also admitted attempting to get the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct over an online messaging service. Frew is charged with receipt of child pornography and online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Frews plea was heard by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp. He is expected to be sentenced Nov. 23, Sellinger said. Hamilton Township man accused of child porn possession, distribution A Hamilton Township man is accused of sharing more than 1,000 pictures and videos of child p According to court documents, Frew, in June 2017, connected with the minor through the messaging service and, at his request, had the victim send him sexually explicit images. Frew was already a registered sex offender based on charges in 2008. That year, Frew was convicted in Pennsylvania of unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a computer after he sent sexually explicit photos or videos to undercover investigators. Also that year, Frew was convicted in New Jersey of endangering the welfare of children after having child pornography in his possession, according to court documents. As a previously convicted sex offender, Frews enticing charge could lead to a life sentence. Two fines of $250,000 could also be imposed for each charge, Sellinger said. ATLANTIC CITY Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman in history to hold the job, received a warm welcome Monday morning at the 113th NAACP National Convention here. Speaking for a little over 20 minutes, Harris focused on voting rights, gun control and the midterm elections before a packed crowd at the Atlantic City Convention Center. The nations oldest civil rights organization held its convention in person this year for the first time since 2019, with a requirement that participants wear masks. Harris described herself as a lifetime member of the NAACP in comments that evoked the history of the civil rights movement and the fights yet to come. For more than a century, the NAACP has fought to ensure the well being of Black communities and by extension, all communities in our country, Harris said. This organization has fought to secure for all people the rights guaranteed in our nations Constitution, driven by the ability to see America as what it can be, unburdened by what it has been. Similar themes were echoed by other speakers throughout the day, with many tying current campaigns to the history of the civil rights movement. Many also mentioned Atlantic Citys history, both as host of the NAACP in 1955 and as the site of the Democratic National Convention in 1964, at which Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party sought to claim seats from a state organization that relied on a segregated process. Officially, the NAACP has been and remains a non-partisan organization, but there was little doubt where the priorities of most of the speakers lay. We are non-partisan, but we are political as hell, said Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the organization. We have saved this nation in the past and we must do it again. Without Black voters, he said, Donald Trump would still be president. Johnson said the Jan. 6 Committee hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives have made clear, allegations that the last presidential election was stolen are both a lie and a battle cry by anti-democratic forces. Johnson mentioned multiple policy priorities, including COVID-19, domestic terrorism, gun violence, climate change, student-loan relief, economic inequality, and the erosion of constitutional freedoms, including a womans right to control her own body. Johnson and other speakers said efforts to improve lives in Black communities will improve the country as a whole. Let me make this clear. No one has ever, ever given Black America anything. And anything we will have will have been earned through our fight, our blood and our sacrifice, Johnson said. But the hundreds gathered in the Atlantic City Convention Center were eager to hear from Harris, a former Senator who is simultaneously the first female vice president as well as the first African American and the first American of Asian ancestry to hold the post. She also served as the attorney general of California and spoke of attorneys with the NAACP as heroes of the Civil Rights movement. Harris said she brought the greetings of President Joe Biden, saying he shares in the vision of the NAACP. We see and are prepared to address the disparities that are holding so many people back in our nation, she said. Disparities include education, health care and economic opportunities, she said. Harris spoke of areas where the administration has made progress and what members still wanted to accomplish. One accomplishment she cited was Biden signing a law making lynching a federal crime. The law was named for Emmet Till, murdered in Mississippi in 1955 at the age of 14. Harris said it took a staggering 122 years of advocacy to make lynching a federal crime. Even though it took that long, the NAACP was never deterred and always determined, she said. She also spoke of Bidens signing of a bi-partisan gun bill after the mass shooting in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the first new federal action on guns in nearly 30 years. Harris pushed for more, including the reinstatement of a federal ban on assault weapons, a broad category that is generally defined as semi-automatic rifles with a pistol grip and a detachable magazine. A former federal ban approved in 1994 expired in 2004. There is no reason for weapons of war on the streets of America, Harris said. Mass shootings have made America a nation in mourning, she said, but it is not only mass shootings. She cited the disproportionate impact of gun violence on Black communities. We see it in our communities every day, she said. And it is no less tragic or outrageous. Much of her speech focused on economic opportunities, saying the administration is investing billions of dollars on minority and women entrepreneurs. We are addressing systemic inequities in home ownership, which of course is an issue this organization has been fighting for for years as integral to the civil rights movement, she said. And as you know, it is because of a clear history of segregation, restrictive covenants and red-lining that long denied Black homeowners the opportunities to take advantage of the wealth-building power of home ownership. Access to abortion was mentioned multiple times. Harris said that supporting a womans right to abortion does not require someone to abandon her faith, It just requires us to agree that the government shouldnt be making that decision for her. After her comments, Harris met with New Jersey lawmakers and others to talk about reproductive rights. This year, a Supreme Court decision finding there is no Constitutionally protected right to abortion access upended decades of precedent and put the issue at the forefront of the conversation for Democrats and Republicans heading into the mid-term elections this year. Voting rights and voting turnout were also a major part of Harris comments. We must with a sense of urgency ensure that the American people know their vote matters. It is their voice, she said. We need people who will protect our rights up and down the ballot. That includes local and statewide races, she said. And we need two more votes in the United States Senate, Harris said. All 435 House seats and 34 of 100 Senate seats are on the ballot in November. While Democrats hope to hold their slim majorities in both houses, Republicans look to approval numbers for Biden in free fall, uncertainty over the economy and the tendency for the opposition party to gain ground in the mid-term elections as signs of change on the way in Washington. MIDDLE TOWNSHIP A young pilot was on his way to pick up an advertising banner when his plane crashed Saturday, according to a staff member at the air advertising company. Thomas Gibson, 23, of Ocean City, was pronounced dead at the scene after the crash of his Piper PA-12 shortly after takeoff from a private airfield in the Green Creek section of the township. The crash took place about 9:35 a.m. Gibson was the only person in the airplane, according to officials. Mary Ellen Kelly, the office manager for Cape May Aerial Advertising, said Gibson had started working for the company this summer and was on his way to pick up a banner when the crash took place. She said any further details would have to come from federal aviation authorities. Eva Lee Ngai with the Federal Aviation Administration office of communications said the National Transportation Safety Board was leading the investigation and any updates will come from that agency. A preliminary investigation indicates the pilot had taken off and, as is standard procedure, turned around to pick up the banner, according to Peter Knudson, an NTSB spokesperson. The pilot missed the banner on the first pass, Knudson said Tuesday, and had begun to climb for a second pass when the plane veered to one side, lost altitude and crashed. Investigators are gathering facts about the crash for a preliminary report to be released in the coming weeks, Knudson said. The search for the cause of the crash will come as part of the next phase of the investigation. The registration number for the plane showed it was owned by Paramount Air Service, which has been flying advertising banner planes in Cape May County for generations. The company was started by two World War II veterans, including Andre Tomalino, who had been a glider pilot during the war. Former owner Barbara Tomalino, the daughter of the founder who ran the company since 1985, said she sold the planes, equipment and property to the new company Cape May Aerial Advertising. She still owns the name, she said. I didnt sell Paramount. What I sold were the assets, she said. Jeromie Hunter, owner of Cape May Aerial Ads, is a former pilot of Paramount who moved to the area from Washington state to run the business. She said he knew she was considering retirement. Tomalino declined to reveal the purchase price. Federally-funded study to look at economic potential at Woodbine Airport WOODBINE A federally-funded study is set to look at the development potential for Woodbine Contacted on Tuesday, she described the crash Saturday as a tragedy and said she always worried about the pilots who worked at the company. You worry for these kids, she said. There had been crashes while she and her family operated the business, but she said there had been no fatalities. We were blessed. Kelly said the new owners operated the air service starting last summer, and the sale was finalized in April of this year. Gibson was originally from Medford Lakes, Burlington County, and studied at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania, according to his Facebook page. In addition to working as a pilot, he worked at his familys business, Gibson Electrical. He played lacrosse at Shawnee High School. Middle Township police announced the crash Saturday. Multiple emergency vehicles from several agencies responded to the crash, including fire companies from Green Creek and Rio Grande, and the Cape May County Prosecutors Office. Police Lt. Tracey Super said Tuesday the crash is a federal investigation, and local police could provide no further information. Here's what was going through the teen pilot's head as he landed his banner plane on the Ocean City bridge Landon Lucas, 18, stood next to the 1946 airplane that had failed him two days earlier, lead The Piper PA-12 was produced in the 1940s after World War II. It was designed as a three-seat plane. There have been three fatal accidents involving Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser planes recently, according to the Aviation Safety Network, which maintains a database on plane crashes. On May 24, a pilot died from injuries sustained in a crash near Seagraves, Texas, and on May 28, a pilot died in a banner plane accident in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, reportedly while attempting to pick up a banner. Most accidents involving banner planes take place in one of three circumstances: the maneuver to pick up the banner, entangled or snarled banner towlines, or due to the loss of engine power, according to a 2003 report from the FAA. Last year, a teenage pilot working for Paramount Air Service made national headlines when he safely landed his struggling banner plane on the bridge between Ocean City and Somers Point, finding a gap in summer traffic to set down June 19. Landon Lucas, 18 at the time, was not hurt. He told authorities his plane was experiencing engine trouble and he tried to make it to the Ocean City Airport after dropping the banner. In April, Lucas was a passenger in a small plane that crashed in New Mexico. He told reporters afterward that he was seriously injured in the crash. The pilot was killed. Banner plane pilot, 18, makes emergency landing on Ocean City bridge OCEAN CITY The pilot of a banner plane experiencing engine trouble on Monday tried to reac Banner planes are a common sight each summer along Jersey beaches, and have been for decades. There have been multiple plane crashes involving banner planes in southern New Jersey, including some in which the plane ended up in the ocean. In several incidents, the pilots escaped without serious injuries. In 2012, a Paramount banner plane crashed into a tree in Middle Township, and in 2015, a banner plane went down in the marsh near the Delaware Bay near Reeds Beach, with the plane flipping over. The pilot survived in each instance. In July 2008, another banner plane ran out of fuel and crashed into a fence in the backyard of a motel in Middle Township. In Ocean City, a Paramount plane went down in the marsh near 51st Street in 2010. The pilot was not seriously injured in that incident, either. LONGPORT There are Downbeach pet owners who love their dogs so much, they do everything with them, including taking them to the beach. Then, there are those nonpet owners who think public beaches should only be accessible to humans, not their furry friends. Almost 57% of the United States population owns a pet, and in New Jersey, at least 47% do, according to the American Veterinary Medical Associations 2017-2018 Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. Of that 47%, almost two-thirds are dog owners. That number is a testament to the dog culture in Longport. The borough recently updated its ordinance allowing dog owners to walk their leashed fur babies from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. from May 1 to Sept. 30. After September, there are no restrictions on pets on the beaches as long as they are leashed. On Friday, Lorie and Marc Modelevsky, seasonal residents of Ventnor, were getting ready to walk their 6-year-old English Mastiff, Carson, on the Boardwalk. Our dog doesnt like walking on the beach, but if he did, we would definitely take him, Lorie Modelevsky said. Some people dont like it, but were for it if people clean up and are responsible. Longport Commissioner Daniel Lawler said the borough that usually houses about 900 year-round residents sees more than 15,000 people during a summer weekend and has been seeing more dogs since the pandemic. Longport has always had an ordinance of no dogs on the beach from May 15 to Sept. 15, said Longport Commissioner Daniel Lawler, a dog owner. Over the years, a lot of people have come to us, me personally, and said, Why cant we have dogs on the beach for a couple hours in the morning? Before the crowds get there. I have a dog, and my wife walks the dog on the beach almost every morning in the winter, and shes been asking me as well. Lawler said people howling about the dog ordinance are usually people without pets, or those concerned canines will be allowed unleashed. Many believe irresponsible owners wont clean up after their pets. Lawler said those issues have never been a problem. We listened to the public, and one person got up and complained about the dogs on the beach, while I think seven or eight people who have dogs said they wanted the dogs, said Lawler about the public hearing portion of a council meeting last month at which the commissioners voted on the dog ordinance. Since the ordinance was changed, Lawler has received no complaints from the city or residents, and has even checked in with the lifeguards, public works, police, and other city departments to see if there has been an uptick in dog waste or people being issued tickets for not complying with the ordinance. The Modelevskys said as far as they could see, dog owners were following the ordinance. The dogs they do see on the beach are always leashed and dog waste is always fetched by responsible owners, including during the busy Fourth of July weekend, when there were more dogs on the beach and Boardwalk than usual. If people are responsible, it shouldnt be a problem, said Lorie Modelevsky. Other Downbeach areas, such as Ventnor, have their own dogs-on-the-beach ordinances. From May 15 to Sept. 30, leashed dogs are allowed on the beach from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., but only on the areas washed by the high tide line. From October until May, leashed dogs are allowed on the beach at any time in those high tide line areas. We dont get many complaints. Most people comply, Ventnor Clerk Lisa Hand said about the city ordinance allowing dogs on the beach, which was updated in 2019. The complaints we do get, which are few, have to do with dogs being unleashed while on the beach. Brigantines dog ordinance doesnt allow dogs on any public beaches between 14th Street North and the southwestern most portion of the island between May 30 and Sept. 30. The ordinance stipulates dogs are allowed on the beach from Oct. 1 to May 29 if leashed and accompanied by a person. It has not been changed recently and will not be. We dont get many calls about dogs on the main beaches, Brigantine City Manager James Bennett said. Theres probably more online complaining than anything. PD are on the beaches and will remove someone and their dog if they witness it. In Margate, dogs arent allowed on their beaches at all. Those who violate the ordinance could incur a $100 fine. And, while Longport has a designated dog beach on Ocean Drive where pets can be leashed or unleashed, many are turned off by the amount of dog waste on the beach, which has no trash cans. The dog beach is an undesirable place for dogs and humans, said Marc Modelevsky. If you ask Sue Cook, the merger between First Midwest and Old National Bank is anything but smooth. The merger was completed in February, but Cook said she received no information about steps to maintain the account. Cook is a joint-member with her 81-year-old mother. When she moved to Oklahoma to live with her daughter, Cook, she kept the account at First Midwest. Kathy Schoettlin, the communications officer for Old National, said the conversion of accounts took place the week of July 8-10. It involved moving account information for more than 300,000 clients and re-branding 103 banks. "The data conversion was a smooth and successful process. All client account information was successfully transferred to the new Old National system with no data integrity issues or operating system concerns," she said in a statement. Tuesday, Cook spent nearly three hours on hold while she waited to speak with customer service. The day before, she received an email saying her mother's debit card would be null and void the next day. Cook said she never received a new card or any prior notice of this. In her statement, Schoettlin said customers received their new debit cards, "in the weeks prior to the conversion. But, a hitch in the merger still happened on July 9 when clients were trying to activate their new cards. "The debit card provider was having technical issues, which resulted in a spike in calls," Schoettlin said. "While we continue to experience some intermittent issues related to debit card activation, our provider has assured us that the underlying problem has been resolved, and our call volume continues to decrease." Once Cook's call was answered, a representative with Old National Bank told her to check the email on the account, but Cook said she didn't receive anything. This only heightened her concerns. Her mother does not use email, or the internet in general. She would have no way of knowing what was going on, or how to fix it, Cook said. Older folks who do not use the internet or don't have the option of waiting on the phone for hours are those who are affected the most, she said. Cook said she sent a message to the Old National Bank Facebook account, and received a reply in 30 minutes. On the phone, the representative told her 80,000 customers had called that day, and there was a line out the door for those trying to handle their financial business in person. In Oklahoma, it was 107 degrees Tuesday. Standing outside to wait for a chance to speak to someone in person is not manageable, she said. In Davenport, the high for the day was 91. "It just seems like Old National should have had a better plan to work this out," she said. A glance through the Old National Bank's Facebook page shows Cook is not alone in her frustration. A post outlining that mobile banking would be down for maintenance garnered nearly 700 comments by Tuesday afternoon. Most of them were customers upset about the wait time and lack of information from Old National. However, Schoettlin said the situation is on its way to being resolved. "Our core promise at Old National is to exceed the expectations of our clients in every interaction, and we want to apologize to every client who was inconvenienced or felt frustrated in any way during this process," she said. The corner of 5th and Brady streets in Davenport is rich with history. Soon, the non-profit Friends of MLK hope to bring more to the table with a park dedicated in Martin Luther King Jr's honor. Originally, the park was to be built this summer, but the group is $400,000 short of its $1.2 million goal. Ryan Saddler, the organization's CEO, said the project has come with plenty of learning curves, but he is determined to get it built. "We'll get there," he said, "but we're not going to get there this summer, unfortunately." Tuesday, Saddler presented to the Scott County Board of Supervisors for their support for a grant. The Friends organization applied for an Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism Program grant, which typically awards between 10% and 20% of projects budgets. As part of the application, Saddler needs the written support of the board of supervisors, which the five members of the board said on Tuesday they supported. Saddler also asked supervisors for a $20,000 match for the grant, which county administrator Mahesh Sharma said the county has the budget to fund. The city of Davenport, a co-author on the grant and owner of the park land, is already contributing $500,000 in total for the project, Saddler said, and hell present in those council chambers in the coming weeks. The five supervisors agreed Tuesday they supported funding the Friends request, which Saddler said he needed within the next 40 days. But the supervisors will wait to vote on a proposal until the next cycle in two weeks once the countys budget director returns from vacation. The county usually budgets $50,000 per year dedicated to local projects applying for the Community Attraction and Tourism grant, Budget Director David Farmer wrote in a memo last week. Chair Ken Beck said while he supported the project, he was wary of spending two-thirds of the countys budget for such grant matches a few weeks into the fiscal year without assurance from the county budget director. We need to make sure we have other resources if we go with $20,000 because we dont want to tell someone else who comes along No, Beck said, adding that he supports funding for the project, but wanted a clearer picture from Farmer once he returns on which stream of funding it should come from. Supervisor Ken Croken disagreed. I wish we could act immediately and send a very clear message of support, Croken said. So, I would encourage us to move forward on Thursday night. Of the money raised so far, about $15,000 has come from private donors, $500,000 from the city of Davenport and the rest from other grants. Support has come in other ways, too. Ascentra Credit Union donated fees to cover the architectural design for the park. Inside, the park will have a stage, picnic areas, green space and an area for a market to be set up. Saddler is most looking forward to the storytelling aspect. Panels will line the inside of the park, and feature a series of pictures that tell a historical story. Saddler said the pictures will be centered on a theme, such as Black business, and feature iconic individuals in Davenport. The exhibit will act like a physical story book, and be changed seasonally in order to tell more stories. "When we first came together as a task force, we wanted a park where people could go to, learning would take place, they could have fun, and they could bring their family," he said. The displays will not only accomplish that, but help create a new park each time. The Friends of MLK was originally started as a task force in 2014 by then Mayor Bill Gluba and Pastor Rogers Kirk. The pair wanted to find a way to honor King, who spoke in Davenport in April 1965 when he received the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award from the Diocese of Davenports Catholic Interracial Council. "Our mission was to find a way for the city of Davenport to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King," Saddler said. The group decided the way to do so was through a park. They looked at several locations, but ultimately decided on 5th and Brady street because of the rich Black history it has. A saloon opened by Linsey Pitts, a former slave and the first Black businessman in Davenport, mixed-race housing and restaurants, and the jazz club Blue Bird Tavern, where Bix Beiderbecke is rumored to have played, were all on that block. "It was one of those places in our tethered history of America where Blacks could patronize taverns and things," Saddler said. But they almost lost the space before they could claim it. In 2015, a developer had plans to put in apartments in the area. Saddler spoke with Frank Levy of Newbury Living, and ultimately negotiated that Levy would build 24 units instead of 36. The rest of the building was then turned into the MLK Interpretive Center, and would include space for a park. Fundraising began in 2017, but slowly lost steam over time, Saddler said. In 2020, the group began talking about the park again and by 2021, it was full steam ahead. But, the park goes beyond having a place to play and gather, Saddler said. It's about learning. "Our campaign theme of this park is honor the past," he said, "build the future." Learn more about the Friends of MLK here and donate to the park's building fund here. The city of Davenport announced Monday that Jeff Bladel has been named police chief to replace retiring Chief Paul Sikorski in August. Bladel will assume his new duties Aug. 30. Bladel is a 27-year veteran of the force. He also is the son of former Scott County Sheriff and Davenport Police Chief Mike Bladel. Bladel has served in the position of major, or assistant chief, since 2016. Bladel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in law enforcement and justice administration from Western Illinois University, and a Master of Science degree in law enforcement intelligence and analysis from Michigan State University. Major Bladel has devoted his life in service to the Davenport Police Department, protecting and caring for the well-being of the community, Davenport City Administrator Corri Spiegel said in a news release Monday. His commitment, education and professional success at every level of leadership within the department make him an outstanding choice for this role. Bladel said in the news release that he was honored to be named the citys next chief of police. Having been a lifelong resident of Davenport, I care deeply for the residents and the safety of our community, Bladel said. I care deeply for the residents and the safety of our community. The Davenport Police Department is comprised of extraordinary men and women, and I am honored to have worked with such a tremendous team over the years, he added. Support for the superintendent of Bettendorf schools has not vanished, despite recent efforts by some to oust her. The school board last week reviewed a petition bearing about 1,200 signatures that sought to remove Michelle Morse. In response to the petition, one Bettendorf parent is asking others now to focus on what they have in common, rather than their disagreements. If these parents really do care about all students, teachers and the climate within the schools like they say they do, they can somehow find common ground and we can all move forward and stop trying to pick apart ways that divide everyone, Andrea Proksch said. If everyone really cares that much about the students, this isnt the way to go about it. The petition was titled Save our Schools and was circulated by a group of parents and community members calling themselves Bettendorf Parents United. It cited complaints about Morses leadership, the departure of district administration and staff and stated Morse has, completely failed in her legal duties to provide a safe learning environment for all students and staff." It followed considerable complaints about conduct problems and disciplinary responses that have been on the rise at the middle and high schools. The board unanimously voted to decline moving forward on the petition after it was ruled invalid by District Counsel Wendy Meyer, as the electronic signatures could not be verified as district voters and because the petitions request conflicted with Iowa Code section 279. Bettendorf board tosses parent petition aimed at ousting superintendent The Bettendorf Community School Board unanimously declined to move forward on a petition calling for a 'Vote of No Confidence' to remove Superintendent Michelle Morse after it was deemed invalid under the Iowa Code. Proksch, who has four children in the district, first saw the petition circulating on Facebook. My initial reaction was Im not sure what purpose this has to serve, she said. I opened it up and looked through and it seemed to be the parents who were fighting the rules put in place during COVID, and now they were saying Why arent you enforcing rules? So it seemed a little hypocritical. Amy Swearingens kids have graduated from the district, but she's kept tabs on school news due to her background in education. She said she knows many parents who support Morse. I just think they dont want to come forward due to the political climate in the district, she said. I feel like we need to be supportive as community members; thats what attracts families to come to the district. Proksch said she didnt think the petition would pass as valid after seeing that many of the online petitioners were not from the Bettendorf community. I knew signatures had to be from the community for it to be valid, she said. A lot of the comments were I dont live here, but, but these are people who it doesnt really concern. Proksch said part of the current conflict between some parents and the district started with COVID-19, specifically, the board's mitigation efforts. This came up during the meetings public communication session Thursday. It sounds like youre all aware of the lack of discipline in the schools, which is surprising to everyone because you all proved you could execute military discipline during COVID. One-hundred percent compliance with every restriction, but now, theres nothing you can do?" community member Matt Shaw said. If only we had some experience implementing strict discipline that would modify behavior to a compliance level that was expected. Sounds like you had a year and a half experience. Shaw said the district should focus its energy on real world things and execute similar disciplinary haste on student behavior. Forcing masks on kids isnt what any teacher or parent signed up for, but you guys somehow had that down to a science. Its unbelievable, he said. Apply it to the real things in school that matter not perpetuating the panic over breathing through a cloth. Put that into practice. Youve proven you can do it. Just apply it to what parents truly expect for all the kids there. Though Proksch doesnt have kids in middle or high school yet, she has personal ties to the topic of behavioral conduct. I do have a child that has a behavior plan, and that seems to be their focus of the children that need to be held accountable. Thats why its personal to me, she said. We already have enough that were trying to maneuver through school. It just seems like some want to pick a group to blame things on. After the legal department and the board reviewed and declined the petition Thursday, Proksch said it was unfortunate that time and resources were spent on the process. I was happy that hopefully now its being shut down, but so much time, effort and money was wasted on everyones part on something that wasnt really going to move forward, she said. Jeanice Goldsberry, a grandmother in the district, said she knew of parents looking to move out of the district in response to its perceived lack of disciplinary action. My grandson is going into fourth grade. If things dont change by middle school, Im going to have to encourage my daughter to move out of this district for his safety and for his education, she said Thursday, addressing the board. I know people who are selling their houses to leave this district because of what this administration and this board have allowed to happen to our schools. Proksch, however, made a choice to return to the district after open-enrolling her kids in a Connections Academy online program last school year. I wouldnt bring my kids back if I felt it was terrible, she said. We think its a good district and weve had good experiences here. When we were there for Dr. Morses first year, we had good experiences with her. I think shes trying her best and we all need to move together and help this process. Proksch said its important to recognize that Bettendorf, like all districts, faced problems well before Morses term. I think that part gets overlooked and she was expected to come in and clean everything up, Proksh said. You cant clean something up in five minutes that took five years to create. Changing leadership isnt going to fix that because you have someone coming in from ground zero. She feels if more people gave Morse and the district time, theyd start seeing and recognizing their improvements. I dont always agree with everything Dr. Morse does youre never going to fully agree with anyone on everything. But she came in during a time that would have been difficult for anyone, and I feel like shes really tried putting things in place to move things forward and find better outcomes, Proksh said. Swearingen seconds this. I think she and the board are responding, making sure we have solutions in place that are long-term and not reactionary, she said. Morse was one of 10 superintendents selected by the Iowa Department of Education (IDOE) to serve on the 2022-2023 Superintendent Advisory Council. Obviously the IDOE thinks shes doing a good job, so I just dont understand the goal of having her removed, Proksh said. Swearingen said the priority should be moving forward. This is an exciting time," she said. "We are not alone. Nationwide, statewide and locally, were all trying to do that. I think Morse is really trying to build that foundation for us. The Bettendorf Parents United group organizers did not wish to go on record in response to specific questions about the petition but did say that their main concern is this: The school board is deflecting and looking for loopholes to avoid addressing the superintendents failed leadership head on." Eastern Iowa Community Colleges announced it will offer the required course to earn a Substitute Teaching License to help alleviate local school districts' struggles to find substitute teachers. In order to become licensed, aspiring subs must complete the Board of Educational Examiners Approved Substitute Authorization Program, which is available through EICC. The school will host upcoming training sessions for the program on Saturday, July 23, and Sunday, July 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Scott Community College Urban Campus on 101 W. 3rd St. in Davenport. "What many people dont realize is you do not have to have a background in education to fill these positions," the announcement's news release said. "Anyone with an associate degree or 60 hours of credit at a regionally accredited institution, or a paraeducator, can be authorized to become a K-12 substitute teacher. These are great positions for people with flexible schedules who enjoy being with students and would like to generate a little extra income." The course covers subjects such as classroom management, instructional strategies, diversity and ethics. After completing the course and submission of requirements and fees to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, participants are authorized to substitute for a K-12 institution. Paraeducators may now serve as a substitute in any classroom, but were previously limited to serving only in their special education classrooms. Cost for the program is $100, and the minimum age for participation is 20. For more information, call 1-888-336-3907 or email eiccinfo@eicc.edu Meteorologist and Democratic nominee for Illinois 17th Congressional District Eric Sorensen has been added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue" list. The announcement from DCCC comes less than three weeks after Sorensen won the six-way, 17th District nomination for the Democratic primary. The red-to-blue list is a competitive, cycle-tested program at the DCCC that seeks to strengthen candidates who have the best chance to win with organizational and fundraising support to help them run strong campaigns and to flip congressional seats from red to blue. "Eric Sorensen has spent his career keeping people informed," Elena Kuhn, DCCC spokesperson said in a statement. "Now he's stepping up to run for Congress to put facts and honesty ahead of political gamesmanship as he works to bring down rising costs and create more economic opportunity in Illinois." Sorensen said he is proud of the grassroots and people-powered campaign he has built and is grateful for the DCCC's support as he continues to campaign across the 17th Congressional District. "Our momentum continues to grow because voters know that their trusted meteorologist in the best choice to represent them in Congress," Sorensen said in a statement. Davenport City Council members will dedicate two meetings in the coming weeks to a proposal that would convert two downtown one-way streets to two-way traffic. On Tuesday, city staff will present to council the results of a technical review of the estimated cost, impact and different pathways the council could take on a proposal to convert 3rd and 4th Streets to allow two-way traffic flow. The council will wait to actually discuss the options presented until the following Tuesday, July 26, during a scheduled work session at City Hall, said Sarah Ott, Davenport's chief strategy officer. "The work session on July 26th will be reserved for the council discussion after they have had a chance to hear the presentation and read the technical review," Ott said. The technical review, which the City Council asked for earlier this year, is expected to answer questions and shed light on concerns raised by the public and staff about how converting to two-way traffic downtown would impact residents, businesses and visitors in the downtown. City Administrator Corri Spiegel previously said the review would include information on funding and the Bi-State Commission grant-review process, turning movements, loading zones, traffic capacities, lane configurations and terminus points. The proposal to convert the downtown to two-ways has been discussed for years, but was suggested most recently by the Downtown Davenport Partnership to do on the same timeline as a separately funded project to resurface 3rd and 4th Streets in order to save time and expense. The city held three public meetings and conducted an online survey to gauge what the public thinks about eliminating east-west one-way traffic downtown. Although the survey didn't explicitly ask, more than half of respondents wrote in the survey they opposed the change, including more than half of people who said they owned property or businesses, or lived in the downtown area. Several survey-takers asked why the proposed conversion stopped at Marquette Street, as proposed, rather than stretching west to Telegraph Road. That is one part of the proposal being analyzed, city staff have said. Others raised questions of how to manage traffic with just one lane in each direction. Trucks often take up a lane of traffic to unload, and survey-takers raised concerns of impending traffic congestion at peak hours or if River Drive is closed because of flooding. Those in favor of the conversion say it will make the downtown safer and more attractive for pedestrians and the growing number of residents downtown because it would slow and calm traffic. Others disagree, saying timing of the traffic lights already limits speeds. According to Iowa Department of Transportation traffic counts from 2006 to 2018 the most recent year data is available peak average daily traffic along 3rd Street was 11,000 vehicles and 9,300 along 4th Street, with less volume east and west of the core of downtown. Advocates also note that longtime efforts to bring a grocery store downtown have been hampered by one-way traffic. Downtown Davenport Partnership Director Kyle Carter said a prospective store turned down a property adjacent to the new YMCA, citing specifically the impact of one-way traffic on its business. In advocating for the conversion, the Downtown Davenport Partnership points to other cities in Iowa, such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Muscatine that have converted their one-ways to two-ways, and a 2014 University of Louisville study of a small area of a Kentucky city found conversion led to reduced speeds, fewer collisions, higher property values and lower crime. Davenport's six-year capital improvement plan includes plans to rehabilitate 3rd and 4th Streets in 2024 for $9.2 million, $7.3 million of which comes from a federal grant. The plan also included a possible $1.7 million which would still have to be approved by the City Council to convert traffic signals on 3rd and 4th streets to allow for two-way traffic from East River Drive to Marquette Street. The Downtown Davenport Partnership would contribute up to $700,000. City officials have said, however, extending the conversion to Telegraph Road, as has been raised, would be more expensive. On Monday July 18th at about 8:36 p.m., the Moline Fire Department responded to an alert to Sylvan Island for two male juveniles who had fallen into the Mississippi River. Two males, 11 and 16 years old, were reported to have been fishing along the shores of the river when the younger male suddenly fell in. The older male then entered the river attempting to rescue the younger male. Individuals at the scene reported that the younger male was able to get himself out of the river while several bystanders assisted the older male to the shore. Upon arrival of fire and rescue, both males were on shore, conscious and breathing. Personnel from the fire department transported the two males to Trinity Hospital Rock Island for precautionary measures where conditions remain unknown. Due to the age of the victims and the nature of the event, no further information will be released at this time. JANESVILLE One person is dead and three others were injured in a Monday morning crash on U.S. Highway 218 that involved a driver's education car. The Iowa State Patrol said shortly before 8:30 a.m. a 14-year-old from Waterloo was driving a Chevy Impala southbound on Highway 218 near the Janesville exit when the car went onto the shoulder. The driver over-corrected, crossing the southbound lanes of the highway and the median into the path of an oncoming northbound car. A State Patrol official confirmed the Chevy Impala was a driver's education vehicle. Gregory Harter, a 71-year-old passenger from Fairbank, died. Another 14-year-old passenger, of Waverly, was hurt. The driver of the Impala was also hurt. The woman in the other car, Tabetha Gehrke, of Waterloo, was also injured. Harter was transported to Woods Funeral Home. The two teenagers were transported to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital and Gehrke was transported to MercyOne Waterloo. Also responding to the scene were the Bremer County Sheriff's Office, Janeville fire and police departments, Waverly Ambulance, the state medical examiner's office, Tim and Mike's Towing, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. The crash remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol. South Dakota Mines students in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering got their hands dirty in a unique National Science Foundation-funded project designed to delve into both the art and science behind pottery made from locally sourced clay. The project is part of a course for the new art and engineering curriculum being developed in the MET department at Mines. Student teams enrolled in the junior-level design course were challenged to create glazed pottery using minerals found in the Black Hills. They were tasked to look at tests made on various clays gathered from locations around the area: Tower Road, Corral Drive, Sturgis Road and at the Pacer Minerals facility in the town of Custer. Students then processed the samples in ways to make them most useful for creating pottery and glazes. The core disciplines in materials and metallurgical engineering focus on how the chemical makeup and nanostructure of various metals and materials impact their overall properties. Metallurgical and materials engineers seek to find the best ways to process materials and metals into valuable products. These fields of study have broad applications across many industries, and the Mines degree in metallurgical engineering was just named the most unique major in South Dakota by College Raptor. For many students, this is the first class where they have an open-ended problem, said Katrina Donovan, Ph.D., in the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at Mines. We told them to design a ceramic product, and we did not tell them what the product had to be. They had to engage their creative brains to come up with both the right questions and the right answers to the problems they encountered. Mines artist in residence Deborah Mitchell worked alongside Matthew Whitehead, director of the universitys APEX Gallery, to offer students instruction in making pottery. These workshops gave the students basic skills needed to turn clay into pottery. Students then did materials science and engineering work to process the various clays and minerals at their disposal and design an end product. The process of creating value out of raw materials and minerals can be challenging. One student team used clay gathered from the Tower Road area above Rapid City to make a mug with a 3D scan of the head of the MET department, Michael West, Ph.D. Other teams made shot glasses with the university logo on the bottom, a set of bowls, a teacup and a replica of a vintage figurine statue of the university mascot, Grubby. Faculty members distributed students with various skills in pottery making, geology and minerals processing across the five teams. Jon Kellar, Ph.D., professor in the MET department, said the teamwork skills students developed during the project were an important part of the learning process. We were fortunate the teamwork was really good, Kellar said. The hands-on part of these projects kept students interested many spent long hours in the lab as they got involved in the creative work. The course was completed with help from local industry partners. Pacer Minerals in Custer provided some of the important components for successful pottery glazes. Coeur Mining had unique minerals needed for pottery at the Wharf gold mine near Lead. Dakota Pottery in Sioux Falls provided consulting and the tools needed to make pottery. The final products are on display in the MET department inside Mines Mineral Industries Building. Students who take this junior design course will build on the success of this cohort by using new tools in the department, including a pottery wheel and kiln located in the university foundry. Mines will also offer a summer camp on Science of Pottery and Glasses for high school students starting the first week of August. The camp, funded by the National Science Foundation, is geared toward students who have an interest in both art and science. South Dakota Attorney General Mark Vargo has enlisted the help of Minnehaha County to review the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) investigation into a Rapid City Police Department shooting of a 31-year-old Rapid City woman on May 31. DCI is the investigative arm of the attorney generals office and investigates law enforcement shootings across the state. Traditionally, the attorney generals office reviews the investigation. After a failed traffic stop, an RCPD officer or officers shot the local woman multiple times. The RCPD said the woman drove at one of the officers with a vehicle. Her name is not public and officials have not updated the public on her condition in the last six weeks. One officer returned to work the next day; the officer who was "directly involved," according to RCPD spokesman Brendyn Medina, returned the following week. Vargo made the decision to avoid conflict of interest since the shooting occurred in Pennington County, where he is state's attorney. Hes serving as attorney general because Governor Kristi Noem asked him to fill the office when the legislature impeached and convicted Jason Ravnsborg. He is currently on a leave of absence from his position in Pennington County. Tony Mangan sent the Journal a statement on Monday on behalf of the Attorney Generals office. He said that because of Vargos position as Pennington County States Attorney, his conflict of interest followed him to his new position. There is an inherent danger regarding a conflict of interest in the investigation and prosecution of any kind of criminal case. It is important to remove any doubt of such a conflict, the statement reads. Minnehaha County State's Attorney Daniel Haggar confirmed last week he received the report and video footage, and is starting his review. If he has questions for DCI, he said he can ask them to follow up. As far as the timeline goes, its still unclear when the public will see the results of the investigation. It depends on how much evidence there is for me to go through. I don't like to rush them, so I'm probably a little bit slower than people would like me to be. But I like to be thorough, Hagger said. Vargos office asked for patience from the public. Mangan said the Minnehaha County States Attorney has not been working on the case since its inception, so he will need time to catch up. We understand that there is interest in this case, but we ask for the publics patience because there is a clear conflict of interest. Details of the report will be released, but only after the Minnehaha County States Attorney does an independent, thorough review of the case, Mangan wrote the Journal. The Attorney General's Office has not provided a reason why the woman's name and condition have not been released. Ex-head of Yugoria company sentenced to 7.5 years for embezzlement of $3.2 mln MOSCOW, July 19 (RAPSI) The Khanty-Mansiisk District Court has sentenced Vladimir Volkov, former CEO of Yugoria company, to 7.5 years in a penal colony for embezzlement of 183 million rubles ($3.2 million) from the insurer, the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee reports. A case against Volkovs accomplice Alexey Semenikhin (another general director of Yugoria - ed.) was previously terminated in court due to the statute of limitations, that is, on a non-rehabilitating basis, the Committee noted. Volkov was found guilty of committing an embezzlement on an especially large scale. Investigators and the court established that in the period from April 2005 to January 2012, Volkov and Semenikhin, being alternately the general directors of Yugoria company, established by the Yugra government, embezzled funds in the amount of 183 million rubles ($3,2 million at the current exchange rate) by concluding fictitious reinsurance agreements, causing the enterprise material damage on an especially large scale. Late North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem's spokeswoman directed his state email account be deleted the day after his death, citing a desire to preclude open records requests. Stenehjem, 68, died Jan. 28 from cardiac arrest. About 24 hours after announcing his death, spokeswoman Liz Brocker requested Stenehjem's email account be deleted, according to emails obtained Monday by The Bismarck Tribune. "First thing Monday, could you have Wayne's nd.gov email account shut down and the emails in his in box, in box folders, sent items - deleted," Brocker wrote on Jan. 29 to the office's information technology/criminal justice information services director. Brocker wrote that she and then-Chief Deputy Attorney General Troy Seibel went in that day and planned to meet the next day. She said she would search for emails Stenehjem's wife, Beth, might want and print them off. "We want to make sure no one has an opportunity to make an Open Record request for his emails, especially as he kept EVERYTHING. This was approved by Troy," Brocker wrote. Additional documents requested by the Tribune show that Brocker told the office IT staff that his laptop would be delivered to them "for 'wiping' but to preserve personal information." The office IT staff moved photos from the laptop onto a drive for Stenehjem's family to use at his Feb. 3 funeral, according to the records, which comprise a timeline. The attorney general's IT staff submitted a ticket Jan. 31 to the state IT Department to "Please delete Attorney General Stenehjem's email account. The deputy attorney general and his administrative assistant have already reviewed and retained what was needed." Name emerges New Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Deputy Claire Ness on Friday said that they learned in early July of Stenehjem's and Seibel's email accounts being deleted while processing a records request for the Tribune related to a $1.8 million construction cost overrun on a leased building in south Bismarck. Gov. Doug Burgum in February appointed Wrigley to complete the remaining months of Stenehjem's term. Wrigley must win election over Democrat Tim Lamb in November to continue serving beyond 2022. Wrigley on Friday did not name the office employee who ordered the email accounts deleted. Brocker, when asked about the deleted emails on Friday, referred the Tribune's query to someone else in the office. The Tribune emailed her on Monday for comment on her late-January emails and received the reply: "I am out of the office and do not have access to my emails. Please email ndag@nd.gov or call 701-328-2210 for assistance." Seibel told the Tribune on Friday that he doesn't recall a conversation about Stenehjem's email account. Seibel also said he had no control over how his email account was handled after he resigned. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on Brocker's emails. Wrigley did not immediately respond to a phone message Monday regarding Brocker. Deleted accounts A statement Friday from Wrigley's office said Stenehjem's "entire state email account" was deleted Jan. 31 -- days before his Feb. 3 funeral -- "at the instruction of a nonsupervisory, non-attorney employee of the Attorney Generals Office who stated the action was approved by then-Deputy Attorney General Seibel." Wrigley said Seibel gave verbal approval to the employee, who relayed it to IT staff. Seibel's entire email account was deleted May 23 "at the instruction of the same nonsupervisory, non-attorney employee of the Attorney Generals Office," according to the office. Wrigley said the deletion was done "without authorization." Seibel's emails had been "culled through extensively to see whether there were loose ends, some work, some follow-up that needed to be done," a kind of "triaging" that ended after two weeks, concluding with the account's deletion, Wrigley said. Brocker directed the office IT staff to delete Seibel's account "during an oral conversation and (this) was not authorized by any Attorney General's Office personnel," according to the timeline document. The record states that office IT staff then submitted a ticket to the IT department to "Please remove the shared mailbox with Liz Brocker and then delete the email account." That record further outlines that Brocker around July 5 "confirmed she directed the deletion of the email accounts" of Stenehjem and Seibel. "Ms. Brocker was asked what authority she could offer for ordering the deletion of (Seibel's) account, and she did not provide any," a timeline document states. Wrigley last week declined to say whether the person who ordered the deletion of the accounts was disciplined, citing an "internal personnel matter," but said he would disclose those details "eventually." He said he and Ness did express their "surprise and disappointment" to the employee. Wrigley said the deleted accounts bring no "legal implications" for any pending records requests and no violations of office policy. He said his office will formalize a policy for preserving the emails of the attorney general, deputy and office division directors. He said he "saw no evidence of what I would call a bad intent or a nefarious intent" in the accounts' deletion. He said he sees "no indication of anything that would lead me to conclude that there would need to be an outside criminal investigation." Montanans won't be voting on any citizen-initiated statewide ballot issues this November, according to preliminary reports provided by the Secretary of States office. Of the 34 ballot issues submitted since the 2020 general election, only four were approved to allow supporters to circulate petitions to get them on the ballot. Supporters were required to submit their petitions by June 17 to county election officials. After reviewing signatures and determining whether to accept or reject them, those officials faced a deadline last Friday to submit the results to the Secretary of States office. As of Monday, none of the proposals had come close to garnering the numbers of signatures they would need to be put to the voters in the general election. Backers of two of those efforts previously acknowledged they had fallen short a proposed cap on residential property taxes and an effort to add strict environmental regulations to stretches of the Gallatin and Madison rivers. Another ballot initiative sought to amend the Montana Constitution to add pre-kindergarten to the states system of free quality education. It would have tasked the Legislature with funding the additional cost. The preliminary report from the Secretary of States office indicated it had only received a single petition signature supporting its inclusion on the ballot. The measure wasnt approved for signature-gathering until the beginning of May, after the Montana Supreme Court ruled that Attorney General Austin Knudsen wrongly rejected the proposal as legally insufficient. John Meyer, an attorney who frequently works on environmental issues in Montana, submitted the proposal and said Monday that he had no illusions about being able to gather the more than 60,000 signatures it would have needed during the two-week time frame before the deadline. He said hed consider trying again next election cycle, in the absence of state or federal legislation that expands education to pre-K. Montana is one of just a handful of states that don't already offer it, Meyer noted. Montana can change that, he said. We dont want to be dead-last in the country in terms of educating our youth. A fourth proposal approved for signature-gathering aimed to amend the Montana Constitution to require that winners of elections receive a majority vote. Currently, those seeking elected office in Montana can win with a plurality if no candidate gets at least 50%. The proposal didnt directly address how to determine the winner in those circumstances, stating those outcomes would be determined as provided by statute. It was the latest ballot issue to be submitted to the state, and wasnt approved for signature gathering until late May. It didnt receive any signatures, according to the state report. Chris Shipp, who submitted the proposal, couldnt be reached on Monday. The only two statewide ballot issues that will be on this years general election ballots were proposed by the state Legislature during its last session, in 2021. One would amend the state constitution to extend search-and-seizure protections to electronic data and communications. The other would establish a law requiring health care providers to take "all medically appropriate and reasonable actions to preserve the life and health" of any child born as the result of natural, induced or cesarean labor or an abortion. WARREN, Mich. (AP) In their first rollouts of electric vehicles, America's automakers targeted people who value short-range economy cars. Then came EVs for luxury buyers and drivers of pickups and delivery vans. Now, the companies are zeroing in at the heart of the U.S. auto market: The compact SUV. In their drive to have EVs dominate vehicle sales in coming years, the automakers are promoting their new models as having the range, price and features to rival their gas-powered competitors. Some are so far proving quite popular. Ford's $45,000-plus Mustang Mach E is sold out for the model year. On Monday night, General Motors' Chevrolet brand introduced an electric version of its Blazer, also starting around $45,000, when it goes on sale next summer. Also coming next year: An electric Chevy Equinox, with a base price of about $30,000, whose price could give it particular appeal with modest-income households. There's also the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen's ID.4 in the $40,000s and Nissan's upcoming Ariya around $47,000 with a lower-priced version coming. All start off considerably less expensive than Tesla's Model Y small SUV, the current top EV seller, with a starting price well into the $60,000s. The new models, which can get about 300 miles per electric charge, are aimed at the largest segment of the U.S. market: Modest-size SUVs, representing about 20% of new-vehicle sales. Industry experts say entering the smaller SUV segment, with its reach into a broader demographic of buyers, is sure to boost electric vehicle sales nationally. "Going to the smaller utility segment gives you the opportunity to access the most customers in one (market) segment," said Stephanie Brinley, principal analyst for S&P Global Mobility. "To make a transition from (internal combustion engines) to electric, you have to be in more space. You have to be in more price points. You have to be in more sizes." Brinley noted that the small and midsize SUV segments meet many people's needs, something that previous electric vehicles did not. "If it's a price you can reach but it's a product that you can't put your kids and your dog in, you're not going to buy it," she said. Chevrolet says the Blazer will get a minimum of 247 miles (398 kilometers) per charge. Pricier high-end versions could go up to 320 miles (515 kilometers). The Blazer will be available with Chevrolet's SS performance package with a zero-to-60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) time of under four seconds. There will be a police version, too. "Early on, the demographic composition of an EV buyer was certainly someone that perhaps had higher education, higher household income," said Steve Majoros, Chevrolet's marketing director. "That's very indicative of early adopters. But as we move up that curve, the intention and where we're pricing this product is to certainly make it more available for more mainstream buyers." To attract buyers of modest means, EVs need to be priced even lower, in the $30,000-to-$35,000 range, GM CEO Mary Barra said in an interview this week with The Associated Press. Electric vehicles, she said, also have to have the range and charging network so they can be the sole vehicle that some people own. "Most electric vehicle owners today own multiple vehicles, so they have an internal combustion vehicle to jump into depending on their needs," Barra said. Automakers have been pushing to fully restore a $7,500 tax credit for people who buy EVs to jump-start sales. But the measure is stalled in Congress. It's especially important for GM, Tesla and Toyota, which have maxxed out the number of credits they are allowed and can no longer offer them to buyers. Other automakers are approaching the limit, too. Money for the credits, as well as funding for additional EV charging stations, was in President Joe Biden's $1.8 trillion "Build Back Better" social and environment bill, which is all but dead because of the objections of Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat. Last week, Manchin also rejected a slimmed-down version that included provisions to combat climate change. He indicated his support for just two items from Biden's broader agenda: Reducing prescription drug costs and bolstering subsidies for families to buy health insurance. His vote in an evenly split Senate would be needed for anything to pass. Even without the tax credit, the industry's march toward electric vehicles is moving apace. Edmunds.com says electric vehicles now account for about 5% of U.S. new vehicle sales with 46 models on sale. S&P's Brinley foresees the market share rising to 8% next year, 15% by 2025 and 37% by 2030. The Hanover County Public Schools division will be among the first in Virginia to build a school with no gendered bathrooms. There will be individual toilet rooms in every wing on every floor for second through fifth grades. Each stall has complete privacy, with partitions from the ceiling to the floor with no gaps, according to designers from Crabtree, Rohrbaugh, & Associates. Sinks will be located in an open area in the hallways. When youre washing your hands, youre combing your hair, youre doing anything else, youre doing that in the quarter, said designer Joshua Bower at the meeting. Theres really no behind the wall except for when youre doing things that are very private. For grades kindergarten and first grade, there will be individual toilet rooms inside each classroom. In the cafeteria and in the gymnasium on the main floor, there will be multiple stall toilet rooms, according to Bower. According to an HCPS spokesperson, the design team does not expect a deviation in costs or construction timeline for this design versus a more traditional design. The goal of this design is to increase student safety and decrease potential damage to the bathrooms, said HCPS spokesman Chris Whitley. The new Gandy Elementary School in Ashland, on track for a 2024-25 school year opening, will be among the first K-12 schools in Virginia to have only gender-neutral bathrooms available. It is the first school constructed in Hanover County since Laurel Meadow Elementary opened in 2008. At the School Board meeting, Mechanicsville District representative John E. Redd Jr. asked about restrooms at the schools in regards to the policy. The school division has been involved in a 10-month controversy that began when its School Board did not put into place Virginia Department of Education guidelines regarding the treatment of transgender and nonbinary students, as school boards were legally required to do by the start of school, following a 2020 state law. The board took a vote in November, which covered some parts of the requirements but stopped short at the more contentious transgender bathroom policy, which would have explicitly allowed transgender students to use bathrooms that aligned with their identity. Though lawsuits and threats ensued, the Hanover School Board did not change its policies. In March, the board through a 4-3 vote allowed a conservative organization with established anti-LGBTQ views to review its equal educational opportunities policy. Redd said in an interview that the design for a school with completely gender-neutral bathrooms is a possible solution. In a 7-0 vote Monday night, the Richmond School Board approved a new garage lease in the city for the districts buses, after the existing bus garage caught on fire last month. Superintendent Jason Kamras presented two recommendations to the board Monday night. The first option, which had the backing of the administration, was to move into a facility at 326 East 6th St. in the city. The other option was to move into a facility at 1301 W. Hundred Road in Chester. Our recommendation is to proceed with the first option, the one that is in the city for several reasons, not the least of which is its location means less wear and tear on our vehicles [and] less cost in terms of fuel [and] its very affordable, Kamras said during Mondays School Board meeting. The Richmond site is slated to be available Aug. 1. Fourth District School Board member Jonathan Young made a motion to approve leasing the 6th Street location. The motion passed 7-0, as members Vice Chair Kenya Gibson of the 3rd District and Dawn Page of the 8th District were absent. I do want to commend the superintendent and Floyd Miles [director of transportation] and the entire transportation team for moving with haste to identity an alternate location, Young said. Last month, a two-alarm fire damaged a repairs and maintenance warehouse at 1903 Chamberlayne Ave., damaging a few Richmond Public School buses beyond repair. At least four school buses, including the districts mobile library called the Lit Limo, and two vehicles inside the facility and a bus outside of the garage were destroyed in the blaze the morning of June 29, according to fire officials. RPS has leased the facility for nearly 25 years. The School Board unanimously approved a one-year lease extension in May. TRP Chamberlayne LLC, owner of the facility, agreed to the one-year extension with RPS for roughly $113,000, an increase of 4% from the prior year. The city had leased the Chamberlayne Avenue facility since February 1997. A May 2014 RPS transportation audit conducted by the city auditors office recommended the division stop leasing the Chamberlayne Avenue site in order to save money. A decade earlier in 2004, RPS purchased property at 3501 Belt Blvd. for $1.1 million with the intent of remodeling it as a repair and maintenance facility. When the School Board approved the one-year lease in May, it did so to provide the district with more time to identify a suitable replacement location, according to the May presentation. While moving into the Richmond location is a short-term solution, Kamras recommendation asked members of the School Board if they would like for the division to look into having its own facility on Belt Boulevard. It would likely cost $3 million to get the site up and running. The School Board did not make a decision regarding the Belt Boulevard location Monday night. The Richmond locations rent is $4,975 per month plus additional fees ($675 for common area maintenance, plus electrical) while the Chester locations rent would be $17,806 per month plus an additional undisclosed amount of fees. The Chamberlayne locations rent was $9,402 per month plus an undisclosed amount of additional fees. The challenge is finding a facility that has what we need that is in close proximity, Kamras said Monday night. I do think this is a reasonable price for the facility that [we] would have access to under this agreement. While the School Board wholeheartedly accepted the Richmond location, it lacks an alarm system at this time. Before occupying the property, RPS would install audible smoke detectors and emergency strobes, according to Mondays presentation. The division will also order an alarm panel system but it is slated to be unavailable for up to six months because of supply chain challenges. While the Chester site is newer and has more space, its outside of city limits and is more expensive than the Richmond location. It also would not be available until October and would require a five-year lease. Xiaomi Corp said it was assessing the reasons behind a 3.2 million euro fine ($3.2 million) by an Italian regulator, as it has always adhered to legal and compliance operations, abiding by local relevant laws and regulations. The comments came after the media reported that the Italian Competition Authority fined Xiaomi's Italian subsidiary for alleged violations of warranty rules for the repairs of electronic devices. It is of high importance for Chinese companies to comply with local laws and regulations while going global, and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies should also be safeguarded, experts said. Xiaomi said it was aware of the fine and assessing the reasons behind it. The Beijing-based company said it is committed to providing every Italian consumer with good after-sales service experiences. The Italian authority outlined allegations that several of Xiaomi's policies for fixing defects violated consumer rules in the country. For instance, Xiaomi's local unit refused repairs it was obliged to make in the presence of minor defects not covered by the warranty, such as small scratches, according to a report from telecom industry news website Mobile World Live. Xiaomi accounted for 19.7 percent of smartphone shipments in Europe in the first quarter, and its market share in Western Europe stood at 15.4 percent, the latest data from market research company Canalys showed. The fine in Italy came as Xiaomi is ramping up a push to expand its business presence in Europe, which is one of the most important markets for the company. Ding Jihua, deputy director of the Beijing New Century Academy on Transnational Corporations, an institute that focuses on the study of multinational enterprises, said Xiaomi has been in Italy for several years, and the reasons why Xiaomi was fined were still not that clear. Companies must attach high importance to compliance with laws and regulations of different markets while going global, Ding said. Xiaomi's overseas business recorded robust growth as the company continued to advance its overseas strategy last year. In 2021, its revenue from overseas markets reached 163.6 billion yuan ($24.2 billion), increasing 33.7 percent year-on-year and accounting for 49.8 percent of its total revenue. Lei Jun, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi, said earlier this month that the company is expected to invest more than 100 billion yuan into research and development over the next five years as part of its broader push to sharpen its R&D capabilities and explore new technologies. Richmond Public Schools will end the 2022-2023 academic year two weeks earlier than previously scheduled. In a 6-1 vote Monday, the School Board voted to shorten the upcoming academic year from June 23, 2023, to June 9, 2023. In order to do so, the board approved a series of changes to revert school closures as learning days. In one instance, the board voted to suspend a board policy in order to reopen the district following winter break on Jan. 2, 2023, instead of observing New Years Day. Fourth District School Board member Jonathan Young voted against the calendar change while members Vice Chair Kenya Gibson of the 3rd District and Dawn Page of the 8th District were absent during Mondays meeting. The districts new last day of school better aligns with the 2022-2023 calendars of nearby counties. Chesterfield County Public Schools, which returns the earliest in the region on Aug. 22-23, will wrap up its year on June 2. Henrico County Public Schools start Aug. 29 and end June 9, the same days as RPS. Hanover County Public Schools students return Sept. 6 and end the school year on June 15. Another calendar option would have ended Richmonds school year on June 16, a week earlier than anticipated. Do police need a warrant to search an abandoned cellphone? Attorneys ask US Supreme Court to hear Hampton case If you throw your phone away or discard it or trade it in, police can do whatever they want they can access your emails, your bank records, your phone calls, text messages, photos everything is fair game thats on that phone, said Brandon Boxler, a Richmond lawyer who filed a petition on June 2 with Hampton attorney Charles Haden asking the Supreme Court to hear the case. Superintendent Jason Kamras supported calendar option B, ending school on June 9. Option B obviously provides the most relief to teachers and families and students with only a loss of one instructional day, Kamras said Monday night, adding that the option does turn a number of days that would be off into school days. While RPS begins its 2022-2023 school year on Aug. 29, teachers return the week prior for professional learning days and planning days. According to Virginia state code, a standard school year will either be 180 instructional days or 990 instructional hours. The new RPS calendar meets the 990 instructional hour requirement as the new school year will be 178 days. During public comment Monday night, Andrea Bryant, an RPS middle school teacher, expressed support for the June 9 end of school year date. Please, please, please choose that June 9 school year, Bryant said Monday. I am indifferent, but when it comes down to it, a longer summer is a fabulous summer especially with my husband now teaching and were going to spend all this time together with our children. Speaking on behalf of colleagues, many of whom work extra jobs and have responsibilities, Bryant said ending on June 24 this year was really, really heavy on them. Changes to the 2022-2023 RPS calendar in order to end school on June 9: Nov. 7 becomes a wellness day; district is closed. Nov. 8 and March 10 become professional development/conference days, with no school for students. Nov. 21, Nov. 22, Feb. 3, Feb. 20, March 9, April 10, April 21 become regular school days. With a School Board policy change, Jan. 2 becomes a regular school day. Jan. 27 becomes a student half-day and teacher planning half-day. Some significant changes to the 2022-2023 academic calendar to allow for the shortened school year include: Eliminating school closures for students on Nov. 21 (previously caregiver/teacher conference day) and Nov. 22 (previously choice-based professional learning day). Eliminating teacher planning days on Feb. 3 and April 20 and choice-based professional learning day on March 9. All RPS schools will now be open on Presidents Day (Feb. 20) and Easter Monday (April 10). Of the 20 written public comments submitted regarding calendar changes, 16 were in favor of ending the upcoming school year on June 9. However, there were some caveats. Some teachers who wrote in asked for Jan. 2, Feb. 20 (Presidents Day) and Easter Monday (April 10) to remain days off for students and staff. I am writing to urge you to consider adopting Option B while still maintaining essential days off for teacher planning and holidays, such as January 2 and February 20. We should have a calendar that most aligns with neighboring school districts without sacrificing necessary breaks throughout the school year that teachers depend on for their well-being, Katie Franzel, an RPS first-grade teacher wrote. However, in Henrico County, the 2022-2023 schools calendar most aligned with RPS, the district reopens following winter break on Jan. 2 and is open on Easter Monday. Henrico is honoring Presidents Day as a student holiday but staff have a professional learning day. First District School Board member Liz Doerr asked for the rationale behind closing schools on Nov. 7 and not Presidents Day, as teachers with children in other districts might be squished to find child care on those days. Kamras said having school on Monday, Nov. 7, but not Tuesday, Nov. 8, because of Election Day would make the Monday a standalone student day. That is not a productive day. Kamras added he believed the counties are treating [Presidents Day] as a regular school day. Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover are closed for students on Presidents Day, according to their 2022-2023 calendars. Hanover is holding parent/teacher conferences on Presidents Day. Young, who voted against the calendar changes, once again voiced support for a year-round school calendar. Seventh District board member Cheryl Burke, who made the motion for the calendar vote, said, I also favor what Mr. Young stated regarding year-round school. School Board Chair Shonda Harris-Muhammed of the 6th District also supports year-round school. Burke asked how snow days factor into the new calendar. If inclement weather forces schools to be closed, elementary and middle schools will have snow days, Kamras said, but high schools will have asynchronous learning days in order to meet credit hours. Childrens art tiles that once adorned the walls of the Bristol Mall have returned to public view with the recent opening of the Bristol Casino and are expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future. Andy Poarch, the spokesperson for Hard Rock and the Bristol Casino, explained that early into the construction phase of the Bristol Casino, the group recognized the significance of the tiles, which were painted by area children in the late 1990s, to the Bristol community at large and were careful to preserve the art. We recognized that there was a lot of history with the tiles and a lot of nostalgia surrounding the tiles as something that was and is a great point of pride with the citizens of Bristol, Poarch said. We heard countless stories of folks who spent their childhood coming to the mall and who saw the tiles and painted the tiles, and it was just a real point of local community pride. During the construction phase, we made significant efforts to ensure that they would be preserved and safeguarded. In fact, we even encased them in a protected wood structure during construction. According to Poarch, since opening last week, the casino has received a lot of positive feedback from the community related to the tiles. He encourages residents of Bristol who painted a tile when they were kids to stop by and take a picture of themselves with their tile. As you can imagine, there have been a number of folks who come in or will come in who actually maybe painted one of the tiles. So, were encouraging folks. Please come in. Please take a picture of your tile, post it on social media, Poarch said. Among the current casino employees, Poarch has identified at least one who took part in the tile project as a kid. In addition to the history of the tiles, theres a neat current connection to the project as well, Poarch said. During this special series of "After the Monuments," hosts Kelli Lemon and Michael Paul Williams talk with folks involved in or near the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville. The rally, which was prompted by the proposed removal of two Confederate monuments in that city, ultimately turned violent and led to the death of a young woman. In this episode, Kelli and Michael Paul talk with Devon Henry, owner of a Team Henry Enterprises, a Black-owned contracting firm that was contracted to take down Confederate monuments in Charlottesville, Richmond and several other cities. Devon shares stories of the journey from being awarded the contract to removing the monuments, his safety, to fulfilling the prophecy that the monuments that were once put up by Black men would one day be taken down by a Black man. About After the Monuments Co-hosted by Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist Michael Paul Williams and Kelli Lemon, After the Monuments captures the zeitgeist of a nation struggling to move from symbolic to substantive change on racial issues. The podcast analyzes current events about race through a historical context, examining the ideas of leading Black thinkers over time, and encouraging broader and deeper insights into racial tensions, divisions and reconciliation. Sean Sublette Follow Sean Sublette Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Tuesday brings a better chance of showers than the past couple of days, then a surge of more serious summer heat settles across the state through this weekend. It will be the hottest air so far this summer, keeping afternoon temperatures in the middle to upper 90s. Virginia will not find itself under the massive heat dome that currently sits over the middle of the country, but pieces of that very hot air will repeatedly break off from the dome and slide toward Virginia until the first of next week. Virginias heat is likely to peak this weekend, with afternoon temperatures briefly reaching the 100-degree threshold. There will be a modest easing of the humidity on Friday and Saturday, but it will only back away briefly from the mid-July levels that Richmond has become infamous for over the years. Record highs will be within reach this weekend, but early indications suggest we will fall short. Saturdays record high is 103 (1952), and Sundays is 105 (2010). Nonetheless, the heat index will be up around 105 several times through this weekend, so hydrate and stay out of the sun if you can during the hottest part of the day. Heat may not be as visually stunning as flooding, hurricanes or tornadoes, but over the past 30 years, it has consistently caused more fatalities than any other weather hazard, including cold. Remember the signs of heat stroke: rapid breathing and pulse, headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion and/or seizures. Heat stroke can damage the brain and other vital organs and requires immediate medical attention. As a first step when symptoms begin, find a way to get cool water on the skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, a cool water mist applied to the skin promotes evaporation, helping bring down core body temperature. Ice packs to the neck, back and armpits are also good ways to start. *** If youve lived in Virginia a long time and feel like it has gotten hotter and more humid recently, it is not your imagination. Overall, the number of exceedingly hot and humid days in Virginia has climbed 72%. A 2020 analysis, led by Colin Raymond at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, calculated the highest 5% of all daily heat and humidity values at 474 stations across the country in the 1980s and 1990s. WATCH NOW: Why flash flooding is common in Southwest Virginia The flash flooding this week in Buchanan County is the second devastating flash flood in a year. The rainfall from Hurricane Ida at the end of Then, to compare time periods of the same length, the research team calculated how often that end-of-century average occurred in the years between 2000-19. As another way to think about it, imagine the 10 hottest and most humid days during the past 20 years of the 20th century in Virginia. That same level of heat and humidity (or higher) has happened 17 times in the first 20 years of the 21st century. Because summers are already hot and humid in the Southeast, Virginias 72% increase is among the lowest in the country. Not surprisingly, regions of the country that are traditionally less hot and humid had some of the biggest increases. The research is part of a larger study on how the levels of heat and humidity are accelerating as the climate warms worldwide. While the Roanoke regions COVID-19 activity remains at a stable level, case counts are high, and hospitalizations this past week were the highest theyve been since March, according to a health official. Dr. Cynthia Morrow, director of the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts, said Tuesday that 32 people have been hospitalized over the last week. Twenty-eight of those hospitalizations are new. This is just a reminder that COVID is here, and its hurting some of us, and people should continue to do what they need to do to protect themselves, Morrow said during a weekly news briefing. Morrow said most of the regions hospitalizations are now associated with omicron subvariant BA.5. It does appear that our hospital stays are shorter, so we do think that this is a less virulent strain, but it is certainly a very contagious strain. In the Roanoke and New River valleys, all localities except Franklin, Montgomery, Craig and Giles counties are now considered to be in high levels of community transmission by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those four localities are moderate transmission. The number of positive COVID-19 cases in the Roanoke and Alleghany health districts has remained relatively stable over the last week at 645. That number doesnt include positive cases that are confirmed at home and not reported to the Virginia Department of Health. Our hospitalizations, while theyre higher than they have been since March, are still much lower than we would have expected to see had this been delta or the original omicron, Morrow said. The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts recorded 1,021 deaths to date since the pandemic reached Virginia in early 2020, including four new deaths recorded last week. Even though BA.5, which is the predominant circulating strain, is less virulent, if youre compromised by age, and by likely other medical comorbidities, this is still a dangerous disease, Morrow said. Were going to continue to see deaths associated with COVID-19 as long as we have COVID-19. And those deaths are going to be disproportionately impacting our long-term care facilities because of the individuals who reside in long-term care facilities. Morrow said many people who are eligible for booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine havent received their additional dose. She encouraged everyone to make sure they are up to date. The doctor also urged parents to consider vaccinating their children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Were going to have to see what happens when school resumes with our pediatric cases. Thankfully, COVID-19 is not as dangerous in children as it is in adults, particularly in older adults and individuals who live in long-term care facilities. But they do transmit it to people who could be at risk, Morrow said. I certainly hope that parents are looking at the research knowing that vaccines are safe. Theyre not as effective as we would like them to be, but they are effective at decreasing sickness and death associated with COVID-19. Morrow said that her district has not yet seen an increase in vaccinations among young children. Thats true across our districts, and its true across the state. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday that quarantine is no longer routinely recommended for unvaccinated, asymptomatic children after exposure to COVID-19 infected individuals in child care, K-12 schools and camp settings. Federal guidelines still recommend quarantine in such circumstances. The revised state guidelines for students, teachers and staff still say people who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home regardless of vaccination status for five days, as should those with COVID symptoms. Students are not required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend school, but those vaccines are being made available to children this week at clinics hosted by the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. On Monday and Tuesday, vaccination clinics were held at Northside Middle School and William Byrd Middle School. On Wednesday, a clinic will be held at Cave Spring Middle School from 4 to 6 p.m. The health district has also addressed vaccinations against two other illnesses beginning to circulate in the Roanoke region and the commonwealth hepatitis A and monkey pox. The Roanoke region has recorded 77 hepatitis A cases, including 56 hospitalizations, since January. If we look at all the way back to September of 2021, our total case count is at 138, Morrow said. Morrow said about 85% of those cases is related to substance use disorders, including people who use injection drugs. Most of our cases are within Roanoke city itself, the health district director said. There are certain ZIP codes that were seeing concentrations of cases. Im very, very pleased to report that since this began, weve administered over 1,000 doses of hepatitis A vaccine to our most vulnerable community members, Morrow said. That is exclusively because were working with our partners to make sure that were decreasing barriers for people who have a substance use disorder and people who are unhoused to have access to vaccines. Since last fall, hepatitis A infections have been identified by the health department among workers at four Roanoke Valley restaurants. Morrow said the health department isnt ready to distribute monkey pox vaccines widely. At this point, we just dont have the numbers to justify using the very few doses that we have. We as local health departments are getting a lot of information every week on monkey pox. I think that the Virginia Department of Health central office is doing a really good job of getting that information out there. We just need to continue to make sure that that information gets to all healthcare providers. People who dont have health insurance or are underinsured can seek guidance and vaccines from the health department. Roanoke Fire-EMS pays overtime daily to adequately staff its 11 stations and their assigned apparatus to fight fires, furnish emergency medical care, manage chemical spills and respond to floods and other perilous predicaments. Chief David Hoback reported some bad news about crucial staffing measures in his annual update to the city council on Monday. But Hobacks 14-page report said the department is meeting virtually all response-time targets despite being understaffed and experiencing higher call volume for emergency medical care. He said it is impossible to place the required 64 personnel on duty in a typical day without relying on non-scheduled personnel to work for premium pay. He joked that he expected to be hearing from a city finance officer inquiring about all the money going into overtime. This is the worst its been since Ive been chief, said Hoback, in that position since 2007, in a brief interview. Five of the 64 were on overtime Monday, he said. To move forward, the department has raised pay and intends to continue to try to hire more people, as is happening at the also-understaffed city police department. Both agencies must grapple with competition for quality personnel from other area departments with lower call volumes. Were the busiest fire department this side of Richmond, Hoback told council. You can go someplace else and run a third of the volume. Another obstacle to hiring, Hoback said, is the reality that a certain share of new recruits wont complete training. Still, the department continues to recruit. Instructors are training 21 people to be firefighter-EMTs at this time. The average annual pay for a firefighter-EMT, an entry-level post, is about $45,500 annually, a fire spokeswoman told The Roanoke Times in May. At that time, the department employed about 250 people not counting those in the training academy and had about 20 vacancies in field positions. Understaffing issues affect many fire departments across the country due to the national labor shortage, Deputy City Manager Clarence Grier said. Its not only a nationwide problem in public safety. Job openings have exceeded the number of unemployed workers across a wide range of U.S. industries since July 2021, according to the Federal Reserve. Scores of people who ceased to work during the early stages of the pandemic have not returned and too few young people are entering the workforce to compensate. Hobacks annual report, which is available on the citys website, is full of charts that depict response times to fires and medical calls. The department exceeded a goal to reach 90% of fire calls within four minutes by nearly seven percentage points, posting a rate of 96.8% in 2021. The department strives to reach 90% of calls for critical advanced life support, the most urgent type, within five minutes of travel time, but met that mark 89% of the time. Hoback said he thought the team missed the mark on only one call. Crews reached 90% of calls for advanced life support in eight minutes or less in line with its standard and 93.1% of calls for basic life support in 12 minutes, also in line with the objective. EMS call volume surged 4.35% in 2021 over 2020 and appears to be rising at a 9% rate this year, the report said. You all are amazing, Councilman Joe Cobb told Hoback in reaction to the data. State regulators have approved Appalachian Power Co.s latest plan to tap more power from the sun and wind in an effort to generate all carbon-free electricity for the utilitys Virginia customers by 2050. Doing that will cost Appalachian $32 million in the upcoming rate year, the State Corporation Commission found. To cover the utilitys expenses, the commission allowed a rate increase that adds another $2.37 to the monthly bill of an average residential customer. In a written order late Friday afternoon, the SCC said it was following a sweeping clean energy law while best protecting customers who expect and deserve reliable and affordable service. The Virginia Clean Economy Act, which the General Assembly passed in 2020, requires Appalachian to annually update a plan that documents its gradual movement toward the laws directive of going green by mid-century. For the year starting Aug. 1, the SCC granted Appalachians request to own or purchase power from four solar farms in Virginia, a fifth in West Virginia and a wind facility in Illinois. Together, the solar and wind units will produce about 493 megawatts of renewable energy. Appalachians total capacity in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee is approximately 6,000 megawatts. About two-thirds of that comes from two coal-fired plants in West Virginia. To meet the requirements of the Clean Economy Act, Appalachian expects its solar capacity to reach 3,300 megawatts by 2040, combined with nearly that much from wind. 2040 is also the projected closing date of the West Virginia coal plants. The SCC ruling is an important next step in the companys generation transformation, Appalachian spokeswoman Teresa Hall said. The total cost of the transition will be spread out over many years and will far exceed the $32 million approved for the upcoming year. But the increase is only half of the picture, Hall wrote in an email, adding that over time customers will benefit from a reduction in fuel costs for coal and natural gas, which currently make up about 83% of Appalachians power portfolio. Because that amount can vary significantly with market conditions, the Company does not quantify that amount, Halls email stated. Other steps planned to meet the Clean Economy Acts goal of curbing climate change include developing energy storage and the use of renewable energy certificates. A renewable energy certificate is essentially the currency for the green energy market. One certificate is the legal entitlement to one megawatt hour of energy from a non-fossil source, and can come from either an Appalachian-owned facility or be purchased from a third-party generator on an open market. The owner of such a certificate then retires it, which is how compliance with the Clean Economy Act is measured. You are here: Business The fifth China International Industrial Design Exhibition will take place in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, from Aug. 5 to 7, local authorities said on Monday. The expo will focus on displaying the latest achievements in China's industrial design field in recent years, according to the expo organizers. With an exhibition area of nearly 30,000 square meters, the expo will attract the participation of approximately 330 enterprises from around the world. Innovative exhibition modes in both online and offline formats will be conducted during the three-day event. The design exhibition will demonstrate the overall development level of China's industrial design, popularize industrial design application and consumption concepts, and promote exchanges and cooperation in the industry, said Zheng Hong from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, an organizer of the event. ROCKY MOUNT Franklin County is on the receiving end of two multimillion dollar broadband grants from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Developments 2022 Virginia Telecommunication Initiative program. The funds will further broadband infrastructure development efforts that began in 2017. In conjunction with the 2022 VATI program grants and support from partners like Shentel, West Piedmont Planning District Commission, River Street Networks and Patrick and Henry counties, the county hopes to facilitate projects that are expected to extend service to more than 5,500 homes throughout the county. Work on the projects is expected to start this year. Franklin Countys 2022 VATI grant of roughly $11.8 million will go to extending 100 megabits per second speed service to areas including Boones Mill, Ferrum, Hardy, Redwood and Westlake. The estimated cost of the project is $30.5 million overall. The county already set aside $6 million of federal COVID-19 relief funds for broadband development. The remaining $12.5 million will come from Shentel, which is the countys partner for the project. Another $33.5 million VATI grant was awarded to WPPDC, about $5.9 million of which will go to broadband infrastructure in Franklin County. The overall project which includes WPPDC, River Street Networks and Franklin, Patrick and Henry counties and is estimated to cost $95 million will extend high speed service to more than 10,000 homes in parts of Franklin, Patrick and Henry counties. The Franklin County portion is expected to cost about $12.4 million and impact more than 2,000 homes in southern Franklin County. Franklin County previously set aside $1.7 million in county funds that will also assist with the project. River Streets bringing in $15.6 million, River Street Network Business Development Manager Robert Taylor said Tuesday. Just over $2 million is for Franklin County. Meanwhile, Appalachian Power Co. will make investments in the overall project worth roughly $37 million. As long as we are able to finalize these agreements ... we made a commitment that were going to be your middle mile partner, Amanda Cox with Appalachian Power said. To move forward with the project, Appalachian will need approval from the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Thats our infrastructure, its our power zone; we plan to restore and repair all while hardening the grid. The Shentel project should take two years and the River Street project is set to take three years. Not everyone is going to have to wait two years to see service. Some people may see it in six months, depending on where you are on that schedule, Assistant County Administrator Steve Sandy said. The Shentel and River Street projects will build on Franklin County broadband investments that began with a 2017 survey and analysis of the countys broadband needs, followed by the creation of the Franklin County Broadband Authority and broadband plan. In 2019, 2020 and 2021 the county received roughly $4 million overall in state funds to support broadband development. That money, coupled with investments from Shentel, Blue Ridge Towers and Seiontec formerly Briscnet has already helped grow fiber and fixed wireless service to underserved areas of the county. The 2022 VATI grant funding will focus on wired service to homes and businesses. Realizing that the fixed wireless is good and its served its purpose in a lot of these more remote areas and those numbers are still increasing, but really getting a wire to somebodys house is really kind of the ideal, Sandy said. RICHMOND Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder is suing Virginia Commonwealth University president Michael Rao and three others for $5 million over a personnel dispute in which a former VCU employee sent a crude text message to the former governor and VCUs administration opted not to fire him. The suit, filed Friday in federal court, names as defendants VCU provost Fotis Sotiropoulos, head university lawyer Jacob Belue and former employee Jim Burke. Following Gov. Glenn Youngkins inauguration, Burke sent a text message to Wilder criticizing Wilders ties to Youngkin and the new governors efforts to eliminate what he considers divisive racial concepts and Critical Race Theory from public schools. Wow. What a s- show. It will be four years of disaster, Burke wrote. I am so disappointed on anyone who thought he was a better choice. Pure stupidity. Wilder, 91, perceived Burkes words as harassment and expressed dissatisfaction four months later, when VCU had not fired Burke. At a board of visitors meeting in May, Wilder publicly accused Sotiropoulos of racism for not firing the employee. The suit claims that because of their actions, the university leadership has branded Wilder, the nations first elected Black governor, as a racist sympathizer. It asserts that the schools leadership has damaged the political influence and historical achievement of Wilder, who works at VCU as a distinguished professor in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs named for him. The drama began in January, two weeks after Youngkins inauguration. The new governor had issued an executive order to snuff out inherently divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory, a term some Republicans use broadly to refer to lessons on systemic racism and its role in U.S. history. Burke, who was director of the Performance Management Group within the Wilder school, sent a text message to Wilder saying, Welcome the Nazis. I have no respect for anyone who supported him. TM may not have been great. I get that. But this???? WTF. Is this what you wanted, Doug? I cant believe you fell for it. You f-ed up badly. TM apparently referred to Terry McAuliffe, who lost to Youngkin by two percentage points. Wilder, a Democrat who served as governor from 1990-94, did not endorse either candidate. But he criticized McAuliffe for trying to leap frog three African American hopefuls who also sought the Democratic nomination. And during Youngkins transition, Wilder and three former Republican governors served as advisers. Later in his message, Burke lamented Youngkins efforts to eliminate divisive concepts from schools. I have to now tell scholars to not talk about what is real? Burke wrote. Trust me, these jerks will come after me for teaching history. They will come after my Black colleagues for saying what is true. Burke ended the message by asking Wilder to stand with him. The messages were copied into public documents and shared with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Days after he sent the initial text message, Burke wrote to Susan Gooden, dean of the Wilder school. Burke wrote that if Wilder tries to make things worse, he will find himself in a bad place. Wilder and Gooden interpreted those words as a threat. Gooden called it terroristic language that had the clear intention to inflict pain. Gooden, saying she was in fear for her own safety, notified Burke he would be fired with cause. In a May interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Burke described his messages as ranting but not threatening. I dont ever think of hurting anybody ever, he said. Im not a threat to anybody. A VCU threat assessment team determined Burke made no specific physical threats to anyone. Gooden attempted to file a protective order against Burke, but a Richmond judge ruled that Burke wasnt an imminent threat to Gooden, Burke said. Four months after he sent the texts, Burke was still on staff at VCU. Dissatisfied with the lack of action, Wilder attended a public board of visitors meeting and aired months of dirty laundry. The reason Burke hadnt been fired, Wilder claimed, was racism on the part of Sotiropoulos, the schools provost and chief academic officer. Gooden, the dean who tried to fire Burke, is Black. The dean of the school doesnt have the authority to dismiss anyone if she happens to be Black and a female, Wilder said, referring to Gooden. Am I talking about racism? Yes I am. According to the suit, Rao, Sotiropoulos and Belue tolerated, encouraged and participated with Burke by not communicating with Wilder during the ordeal. Their actions stigmatized Wilder and publicly impugned his reputation, the suit claims. A spokesperson for VCU declined to comment. Burke eventually resigned and retired from VCU, according to the suit. VCU confirmed Monday that Burke is no longer an employee there. Burke and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment. In May, Attorney General Jason Miyares chimed in, siding with Wilder. In a letter to Rao thats quoted in the suit, Miyares wrote that because of Burkes extraordinarily unprofessional and ultimately threatening behavior, VCU was within its rights to fire him. Russia has attacked with brutality its neighbors Georgia, Uzbekistan, and now Ukraine in the recent past. The apparent goal is to restore the grandeur of the Russian Empire. Frank Munleys opinion piece (Stop denying that NATO expansions led to Ukraine war, July 5), like its predecessor by Rosemarie Sawdon (The ignored history that led to invasion, June 7), is misleading. The premise of these articles is that Russia was concerned that the expansion of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) would lead to an imbalance of power and ultimately an attack on Russia. Russians are haunted by the fact that enemies from Europe invaded Russia in 1812, 1914, and again in 1941. But I propose that the real reasons for the current Ukraine war are a fear that border states, given an opportunity to choose between law, order and democracy on one hand and a police state autocracy on the other, have consistently chosen democracy. Examples: Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and, yes, Ukraine. But Russias public argument, and the premise of the Munley and Sawdon opinion pieces, is that the expansion of NATO has so eroded Russias security that it was forced to invade Ukraine to prevent it from adding to NATO. NATO is a defensive alliance. It has been part of the system of sovereign states, customs and international law established after World War II that brought peace and prosperity to Europe for some 77 years. Given the history of almost constant warfare among the nations of Europe until this period, this was a remarkable achievement. NATO has never mounted an invasion of a European nation. The key concept behind NATO is that an attack on one is an attack on all. The only time this provision resulted in NATO military action was after the 9/11 attack on the United States. Many NATO nations sent their young warriors to Afghanistan to help America secure the world from organized terrorists. In June I wrote a letter to the editor criticizing Sawdons opinion piece. Munley wrote that I criticized The Roanoke Times for printing Sawdons article and asked, Whither free speech? But what I wrote was, I am dismayed that The Roanoke Times would publish it without a lengthy fact check commentary. I found many factual errors in Sawdons piece. Journalists have an obligation to ferret out the facts. Munley stated that I quoted Mikhail Gorbachev about negotiations over the unification of Germany. In fact I quoted U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, who said it was a ridiculous argument that an agreement was reached to never expand NATO, although he revealed that this was discussed. Importantly, NATO expansion (or not) was not included in the signed treaty. Munley seems to agree that Russia agreed not to attack Ukraine as part of Ukraines agreement to surrender Soviet nuclear weapons to the new Russia. But then he calls this a distortion. Somehow a mention of self-defense had to be included in the treaty verbiage, to avoid giving West Ukraine a blank check to provoke and undermine Russias security. West Ukraine threaten Russias security? Really? Munley observes that the Ukrainian politician Victor Yushchenko advocated refusing to renew Russias lease on the Russian naval base at Sevastopol in Crimea. Munley relates that after the pro-Russian president Yanukovych was overthrown, Russia became concerned about the continued use of its base. Munley implies that Russia invoked the self-defense aspect of their treaty with Ukraine. Therefore, they initiated an election in Crimea to justify annexing the peninsula to Russia. What he failed to mention was that previously Russia had invaded the Crimean peninsula and conducted this election with its occupation force present. Is it surprising that the Russians won the election? This kind of behavior is not part of the post World War II international law and custom. Contrast Russias actions with those of the U.S. in the Philippines. For many years after World War II the U.S. Navy maintained a naval base in the Philippines. But the Philippine government did not renew the lease, and the U.S. Navy quietly packed up and departed. This is how you respect a sovereign government. The lessons of history are clear. Aggressive dictators like Russias Putin will continue to prey on their neighbors until faced with strength and determination. My advice to Russia is to focus on making their own country full of justice and prosperity. This would be a better way to restore the grandeur of Russia. " " What do these numbers have in common? They're all prime! geralt/Pixabay If you only vaguely remember your elementary school mathematics class, you may not remember what a prime number is. That's a pity, because if you're trying to keep your emails safe from hackers or surf the web confidentially on a virtual private network (VPN), you're using prime numbers without even realizing it. That's because prime numbers are a crucial part of RSA encryption, a common tool for protecting information, which uses prime numbers as keys to unlock the messages hidden inside gigantic amounts of what's disguised as digital gibberish. Additionally, prime numbers have other applications in the modern technological world, including an important role in defining the color intensity of the pixels on the computer screen that you're staring at now. Advertisement So, what are prime numbers, anyway? And how did they get to be so important in the modern world? As Wolfram MathWorld explains, a prime number also known simply as a prime is a positive number greater than 1 that can only be divided by the one and itself. "The only even prime number is 2," explains Debi Mink, a recently retired associate professor of education at Indiana University Southeast, whose expertise includes teaching elementary mathematics. "All the other primes are odd numbers." Numbers like 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13 and 17 are all considered prime numbers. Numbers like 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 are not. Mark Zegarelli, author of numerous books on math in the popular "For Dummies" series who also teaches test prep courses, offers an illustration involving coins that he uses with some of his students to explain the difference between primes and composite numbers, which can be divided by other numbers besides one and themselves. (Composite numbers are the opposite of primes.) "Think about the number 6," says Zegarelli, citing a composite number. "Imagine that you have six coins. You could form them into a rectangle, with two rows of three coins. You can do that with eight, too, by putting four coins into two rows. With the number 12, you could make it into more than one type of rectangle you could have two rows of six coins, or three times four. " "But if you take the number 5, no matter how you try, you can't put it into a rectangle, " Zegarelli notes. "The best you can do it is string it into a line, a single row of five coins. So, you could call 5 a non-rectangular number. But the easier way to say that is to call it a prime number. " There are plenty of other primes 2, 3, 7 and 11 also are on the list, and it keeps rolling from there. The Greek mathematician Euclid, back in circa 300 B.C.E., devised a Proof of the Infinitude of Primes, which may have been the first mathematical proof showing that there is an infinite number of primes. (In ancient Greece, where the modern concept of infinity wasn't quite understood, Euclid described the quantity of primes simply as "more than any assigned multitude of prime numbers.") Another way of understanding primes and composite numbers is to think of them as the product of factors, Zegarelli says. "2 times 3 equals 6, so 2 and 3 are factors of 6. So, there are two ways to make six 1 times 6, and 2 times 3. I like to think of them as factor pairs. So, with a composite number, you have multiple factor pairs, while with a prime number, you have only one factor pair, one times the number itself. " Proving that the number of primes are infinite isn't that tough, Zegarelli says. "Imagine that there is a last, biggest prime number. We're going to call it P. So then I'll take all the prime numbers up to P and multiply them all together. If I do that and add one to the product, that number has to be a prime. " If a number is a composite, in contrast, it's always divisible by some quantity of lower prime numbers. "A composite could be divisible by other composites as well, but eventually, you can decompose it down to a set of prime numbers. " (An example: the number 48 has 6 and 8 as factors, but you can break it down further into 2 times 3 times 2 times 2 times 2.) Why Prime Numbers Matter So why have primes held such fascination among mathematicians for thousands of years? As Zegarelli explains, a lot of higher mathematics is based upon primes. But there's also cryptography, in which primes have a critical importance, because really large numbers possess a particularly valuable characteristic. There's no quick, easy way to tell if they're prime or composite, he says. The difficulty of discerning between huge primes and huge composites makes it possible for a cryptographer to come up with huge composite numbers that are factors of two really big primes, composed of hundreds of digits. "Imagine that the lock on your door is a 400-digit number," Zegarelli says. "The key is one of the 200-digit numbers that was used to create that 400-digit number. If I've got one of those factors in my pocket, I've got the key to the house. " But if you don't have those factors, it's pretty darn tough to get in. That's why mathematicians have continued to labor to come up with increasingly bigger primes, in an ongoing project called the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search. In 2018, that project led to the discovery of a prime number that consisted of 23,249,425 digits, enough to fill 9,000 book pages, as University of Portsmouth (England) mathematician Ittay Weiss described it in The Conversation. It took 14 years of computations to come up with the gigantic prime, which is more than 230,000 times bigger than the estimated number of atoms in the observable universe! You can imagine how impressed Euclid might be by that. Now That's Cool Though many have believed that primes are random, in a 2016 paper, two Stanford University mathematicians described a previously unknown apparent pattern, in which primes tended to be followed by other primes ending in certain digits, as this Wired article details. For example, among the first billion prime numbers, a prime ending in 9 is about 65 percent more likely to be followed by a prime ending in one than it is to be followed by a prime ending in nine. Christopher Allen Washington surrendered to the Florence Police Department on Sunday in connection with a July 10 fatal shooting in the 800 block of Commander Street and an assault on Boyd Street earlier that night. Florence Police issued a media statement on Friday, which said outstanding warrants for murder, two counts of possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime and three counts of pointing or presenting a firearm had been issued. He was arrested on those charges when he turned himself in on Sunday. The charges stem from the fatal shooting of DeQuin Garland Ellerbe on July 2022 on Commander Street, according to the press release. Spotlighting notable (and constitutionally suspect?) aspects of federal firearm prohibition enforcement | Main | "Carceral Intent" July 19, 2022 Might Prez Biden wisely focus on marijuana offenders for his next clemency efforts? It has now been almost a full three months since, as noted here, Prez Biden in April 2022 made his first and only use of his historic clemency powers. Though I was disappointed that it took Prez Biden 15+ months in office before using his clemency pen, I was hopeful the large number of grants (three pardons and 75 commutations) might be a sign of things to come. But now, three months later, I am fearful that Prez Biden will continue to fail to live up to his campaign promise to "broadly use his clemency power for certain non-violent and drug crimes." Still, as the question in the title of this post is meant to suggest, there would seem to be a unique opportunity for Prez Biden to focus clemency efforts on a particular group of individuals convicted of "non-violent and drug crimes," namely marijuana offenders. This group is on my mind in part because of this recent press release which highlights the "the ongoing collaboration between The Weldon Project, National Cannabis Roundtable and other partners to secure clemency for individuals convicted on federal marijuana offenses." Here is the start of the release: The Weldon Projects MISSION [GREEN] and The National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) today announced the launch of the Cannabis Clemency Campaign, an initiative that will encourage the Biden Administration and Congress to advance policies that would grant clemency to qualifying individuals who have been convicted on federal cannabis charges. The campaign will also facilitate collaboration with marijuana clemency experts and academics, kicking off with a marijuana clemency symposium in Washington, D.C. on July 20th. Through clemency, President Biden has an opportunity to deliver justice for the thousands of Americans who have been impacted by federal cannabis prohibition and punitive sentencing practices, said Weldon Angelos, President and co-founder of The Weldon Project. This would fulfill one of President Bidens campaign pledges and send a powerful message about this Administrations dedication to criminal justice reform. Im proud to formally launch this campaign alongside the National Cannabis Roundtable, and look forward to working together to redress the harm done by federal marijuana prohibition. I have the great honor of participating in the symposium mentioned in this release, and I am hopeful that it will help Prez Biden come to see that it is never too late and always the right time for sound use of his clemency powers. A few on many prior related posts: July 19, 2022 at 08:02 AM | Permalink Comments Today and over the last three days I've been talking with my longtime friend, Prof. Paul Cassell, who originally sentenced Angelos to a very long term but wrote a memorandum opinion saying that the required sentence was excessive in his view. We were together at an academic conference in Utah. Paul was at the time a district judge in Utah, but left that job to become a victims' rights advocate. Posted by: Bill Otis | Jul 21, 2022 6:34:43 PM Prof. Cassell is remarkable and Angelos was fortunate to have him. nonviolent marijuana offenders with life sentences almost without exception exercised their right to trial. It's difficult to see the integrity of these sentences with the changing culture of the marijuana industry. Posted by: beth curtis | Jul 22, 2022 3:35:34 PM Post a comment I think to most of us, consuming canned food is mostly limited to tuna, lychee or baked beans. And can you imagine pairing canned food with alcohol? Thats exactly the food adventure you will be going on at mr.kanso, a Japanese canned food bar recently launched in Gurney Walk, Penang. Founded in 2002 and widely known as the largest chain of canned food bars in Japan, mr.kanso is where you can dine on the pairing of premium canned food and thirst-quenching alcoholic drinks. The chain has even created their own original brand of canned food, featuring meals such as takoyaki, curry and paella. So what exactly is a canned food bar? Its a pretty straightforward concept walls are lined floor to ceiling with premium Japanese canned goods. After you have surveyed your selection, you pick up the cans of food that pique your fancy. Then, pass them to the staff behind the counter. The staff heats up what you want and you can pair it off with a glass of alcohol. At mr.kanso, youll be able to find over 80 types of premium Japanese canned food. Products can range from familiar foods such as canned meat, fish, fruit, and meals, to a few more eclectic options like bear meat, and some really unexpected products like canned cake and bread. Give their canned Hokkaido scallop with lemon butter flavor, Horse meat Yakiniku style, Crab Butter with Crabflakes and canned Tamago Mentaiko sauce a try. Pair if off with beers, craft beers, sake, Japanese wine or natural wine. Not in the mood for alcohol? Have your pick of four varieties of traditional teas: rose, peppermint, hojicha and puer chrysanthemum. Well, what are you waiting for? After all, part of the fun at mr.kanso is browsing all the different canned foods and trying out new flavours. Other articles you might like: New in town: Naga House Cafe & bar with Japanese inspired menu and retail corner New in town: Well Collective Pet-friendly cafe with Japanese-inspired dining concept in Punggol The post New in town: mr.kanso Enjoy canned food & liquor at Japans first-ever canned food bar in Penang appeared first on SETHLUI.com. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to the World Conference on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Xi stressed that it is the common responsibility of the mankind, who has created splendid farming civilization in the long history, to protect agricultural heritage. China has actively responded to the globally important agricultural heritage systems program initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN), and the country has been protecting and inheriting agricultural heritage, and constantly advancing the protection practices, Xi pointed out. China is willing to work with the international community to strengthen the protection of agricultural heritage systems, further tap their economic, social, cultural, ecological, scientific and technological value, help implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi noted. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the government of east China's Zhejiang province, the World Conference on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems opened Monday in Qingtian County, Zhejiang, with the theme of "Agricultural Heritage for Rural Prosperity." This is not the first time a B-17 has touched the tarmac in Sioux City. During World War II, the airport was converted into an Army Air Corps base, where gunners, pilots and other members of the crew were trained, according to the Sioux City Museum. One of the most common aircraft found at the base was the B-17. 12,731 B-17's were constructed during World War II, but only five, including Texas Raiders, still fly today. SIOUX CITY -- Sioux City Council members received photographs of snakes and mice a Sioux City woman alleges she discovered in her townhouse garage last week. Marilyn Twinn shared the photos when the council met for its meeting on Monday. Twinn shares a wall with her neighbor Parker Moos. On July 11, Sioux City Police and Sioux City Animal Control removed more than 50 exotic snakes and feeder mice from Moos' 4624 Harrison St. house. Sioux City doesn't permit ball pythons and certain other types of nonvenomous snakes within city limits, although ball pythons are legal under Iowa Code. The banned snakes will be relocated to reptile relocation facilities. Moos, a Sioux City realtor who planned to open an exotic pet store, was on vacation when the snakes were removed. He said a sibling who was caring for the snakes in his absence, failed to properly secure an enclosure, enabling them to escape. While the ball pythons and three boa constrictors were removed from Moos' residence, other corn and king snakes, which are legal, were left by animal control. "Apparently, they are still getting out," Twinn tearfully told council members. "I'm still finding them on my property." Moos had planned to address the City Council in the near future, asking councilmembers to amend its code. Twinn said she wants to move away from her townhouse but feared nobody wants to live next door to a neighbor with an abundance of snakes. "The value of my house has decreased," she said. "No one is going to buy it today, tomorrow, two years or five years." Mayor Bob Scott said he's be willing to listen to any proposal offered by Moos but expressed sympathy towards Twinn. If any city ordinance were to change, it likely would limit the number of snakes that can be kept legally. "We don't allow more than three cats or dogs in any city residences," Scott said. "There is no reason why a person can keep more than 50 snakes in a townhouse." In other actions The City Council deferred action on MidAmerican Energy Company's plan to build a new service center to a 58-acre site on the city's northside. The City Council was to approve a development agreement for the new service center, which will be located at 5515 28th St., near the Highway 20 bypass. The deferment was due to the absence of Council Member Alex Watters. On an unanimous vote, Councilmembers agreed to table any future discussion until Watters' return during the July 25th meeting. SIOUX CITY The search for a new Sioux City Schools superintendent will start in late September. A draft search timeline was presented during the school board meeting on Monday outlining the interview process and community input opportunities that will start in late September and continue through January. Board President Dan Greenwell said the search timeline was created by the recruiter hired by the district, the Omaha firm of GR Recruiting, which specializes in recruiting for educational leadership roles. Greenwell said there is a plan to have multiple sessions to discuss the search with stakeholders, community members, parents, guardians, taxpayers and staff. He said the board wants the community involved and wants input in the process. Surveys will also be used to collect additional information from the community and staff, he said. The specific dates are not solidified by the board at this point. The presented timeline was more intended for directing the school boards schedule, Greenwell said. A few of the important dates outlined in the timeline include: - Sept. 27, planning meeting with board representatives; - Oct. 11, meeting with constituents and stakeholder group representatives; - Dec. 12, deadline for application materials and; - Jan. 11 - 18, interviews with candidates; Once we have more concrete details on the activities and timings, we will share those with everyone, Greenwell said. Board Vice President Taylor Goodvin said he would like to have town hall type meetings at some point in the process. Greenwell said GR Recruiting recommended at least two town halls for the public as well as two for staff. Interim Superintendent Rod Earleywine attended his first school board meeting as superintendent on Monday. He officially started July 1. He resigned as the superintendent of the Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District in February, after 27 years with the district. He was selected as the Sioux City interim superintendent in April after the announcement of Sioux City Superintendent Paul Gausman being selected as the new superintendent of the Lincoln Public Schools. ALVORD, Iowa A passenger suffered injuries described as "substantial" after she was ejected from a side-by-side off-road vehicle, which then landed on top of her, in a rollover in rural Alvord. On Saturday, Lyon County Sheriff's deputies were called to a collision in rural Alvord, at the 2100 block of Elmwood Avenue. The 16-year-old male driver of the side-by-side vehicle was going downhill when he lost control and it rolled, according to a press release from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office. One passenger, Amanda Neyens of Sioux Falls, was ejected from the side-by-side before it landed on her. Neyens was taken to Rock Valley Hospital, according to the press release. Alvord Fire and Rescue and Lyon County Ambulance assisted the Lyon County Sheriff's deputies in responding to the rollover. LE MARS, Iowa Iowa tourism officials on Tuesday presented its annual "Peoples Choice" award to the Wells Visitor Center & Ice Cream Parlor. Delegates to the state tourism conference in April selected the popular attraction in downtown Le Mars. Nominees were the second-highest scoring nominations in each of the 13 award categories and included both metro and rural areas. Jessica ORiley, tourism communication manager, and Katie Kenne, outreach and engagement coordinator with the Iowa Tourism Office, traveled to Le Mars Tuesday to present the trophy at a ceremony. To celebrate the award and National Ice Cream Month, visitor center staff and attendees filled the trophy with Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks ice cream. To be recognized by not only the state for excellence in tourism, but also by industry partners and peers, is an honor, Shannon Rodenburg, senior manager at The Wells Visitor Center, said. Its a true testament to all the work being done at The Wells Visitor Center and in Le Mars to position the Ice Cream Capital of the World as a must-see-and-visit destination. The visitor center also was awarded Outstanding Dining Business in the metro category during the tourism conference. The visitor center and ice cream parlor is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Gunfire, shootings and panic mar American weekend A man firing a rifle killed shoppers at an Indiana malls food court. A gunfight at a Houston home killed four people. A stand-up act by the comedian Craig Robinson in North Carolina didn't even begin before club-goers fled from a man with a gun. In Las Vegas, the specter of gunfire at the MGM Grand sent the crowded casino into pandemonium over a panic that started with a shattered glass door. As gamblers fled for the exits at the MGM and others ducked behind overturned card tables, professional poker player Daniel Negreanu was trampled in what he called a sad reflection of an anxious America gripped by gun violence. On the surface, other people would look at it and think it was an overreaction, Negreanu said. But its warranted ... because we live in a state of fear now. Europe broils in heat wave that fuels fires in France, Spain LA TESTE-DE-BUCH, France (AP) A heat wave broiling Europe spilled northward Monday to Britain and fueled ferocious wildfires in Spain and France, which evacuated thousands of people and scrambled water-bombing planes and firefighters to battle flames in tinder-dry forests. Two people were killed in the blazes in Spain that its prime minister linked to global warming, saying, Climate change kills. That toll comes on top of the hundreds of heat-related deaths reported in the Iberian peninsula, as high temperatures have gripped the continent in recent days and triggered wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans. Some areas, including northern Italy, are also experiencing extended droughts. Climate change makes such life-threatening extremes less of a rarity and heat waves have come even to places like Britain, which braced for possible record-breaking temperatures. The hot weather in the U.K. was expected to be so severe this week that train operators warned it could warp the rails and some schools set up wading pools to help children cool off. In France, heat records were broken and swirling hot winds complicated firefighting in the country's southwest. Amid Russia shelling, Ukraine aims to strengthen government KYIV, Ukraine (AP) As Russia kept up its relentless shelling across the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expanded the shakeup of his security services on Monday by suspending 28 more officials, a day after he dismissed two senior officials over allegations that their agencies harbored collaborators and traitors. In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said a personnel audit of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was underway, and the dismissal of the 28 officials was being decided. Different levels, different areas of focus. But the reasons are similar unsatisfactory results of work, Zelenskyy said. On Sunday, he had fired SBU chief Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova. Zelenskyy, citing hundreds of criminal proceedings into treason and collaboration by people within their departments and other law enforcement agencies. Six months into the war, we continue to uncover loads of these people in each of these agencies," said Andriy Smirnov, deputy head of Ukraines presidential office. Former White House aides to testify at next Jan. 6 hearing WASHINGTON (AP) Two former White House aides are expected to testify at the House Jan. 6 committee's prime-time hearing Thursday as the panel examines what Donald Trump was doing as his supporters broke into the Capitol, according to a person familiar with the plans. Matthew Pottinger, former deputy national security adviser, and Sarah Matthews, a former press aide, are expected to testify, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and requested anonymity. Both Pottinger and Matthews resigned immediately after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that interrupted the congressional certification of President Joe Biden's victory. The two witnesses will add to the committee's narrative in its eighth, and possibly final, hearing this summer. The prime-time hearing will detail what Trump did or did not do during several hours that day as his supporters beat police officers and broke into the Capitol. Previous hearings have detailed chaos in the White House and aides and outsiders were begging the president to tell the rioters to leave. But he waited more than three hours to do so, and there are still many unanswered questions about what exactly he was doing and saying as the violence unfolded. A spokesperson for the committee declined to comment. CNN was the first to report the identity of Thursdays witnesses. Uvalde report takeaways: Massive response but little action A massive but uncoordinated and chaotic law enforcement response. A regrettable culture of noncompliance on school security regarding the basics of locked doors. Online signals of coming violence from the shooter. The long-awaited Texas House report into the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde that killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers spread the responsibility of the bungled response from law enforcement wider than previous accounts. It also questioned security protocols at the school and took a deeper dive into the shooter's background. Here are major findings of the House investigation: MASSIVE BUT INEPT RESPONSE The report noted a massive but inept response from heavily armed local, state and federal law enforcement. That began moments after the shooter crashed his truck on school grounds and entered the building, then continued through the excruciating inaction that dragged out more than an hour, even as parents begged officers to do something and dispatchers took 911 calls from inside the classrooms. Sri Lanka's political turmoil sows worries for recovery COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) A day after Sri Lankas president fled, Mohamed Ishad waited outside an immigration office near the capital, clutching a file of documents that he hopes will get his passport renewed so he can leave, too. With the nation in the throes of its worst economic crisis, Ishad has no job, relies on relatives for financial help and sells vegetables to feed his wife and three children. He wants to go to Japan and find work there so he can send money back home. Ishad is devastated to leave his family behind, but feels there is no choice and no opportunity in his country. Living in Sri Lanka right now is not good if you want a good life, you need to leave, he said. Not only has the economy collapsed, but theres hardly a government functioning right now. Bankruptcy has forced the island nation's government to a near standstill. Its once-beloved and now reviled former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to Singapore before resigning last week. The acting president and prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is seen as his proxy and opposed by angry crowds. Parliament is expected to elect a new leader Wednesday, paving the way for a fresh government, but it is unclear if that's enough to fix a shattered economy and placate a furious nation of 22 million that has grown disillusioned with politicians of all stripes. Rare in US for an active shooter to be stopped by bystander A bystander's decision to shoot a man who opened fire at an Indiana mall was a rare occurrence of someone stepping in to try to prevent multiple casualties before police could arrive. Police on Monday praised the quick actions of 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken, an armed shopper who killed 20-year-old Jonathan Sapirman after Sapirman killed three people and wounded two others at a mall in the Indianapolis suburb of Greenwood. Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsible armed citizen, police Chief Jim Ison said Monday, repeatedly calling Dicken a good Samaritan and his response heroic. It isn't common for mass shootings to be stopped in such fashion. From 2000 to 2021, fewer than 3% of 433 active attacks in the U.S. ended with a civilian firing back, according to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University. The researchers define the attacks as one or more people targeting multiple people. It was far more common for police or bystanders to subdue the attacker or for police to kill the person, according to the center's national data, which were recently cited by The New York Times. Senate panel subpoenas federal prisons director to testify WASHINGTON (AP) The outgoing director of the Bureau of Prisons has been subpoenaed to testify before a Senate committee examining abuse and corruption in the beleaguered federal agency. Michael Carvajal was served a subpoena to appear at a hearing later this month. The subpoena was announced Monday by Sen. Jon Ossoff, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The committees subpoena follows an investigation by The Associated Press exposing systemic issues in the agency, including widespread criminal activity by staff and rampant sexual assault at a womens prison in California. The Justice Department announced last week it was replacing Carvajal with Colette Peters, the director of Oregons prison system. That announcement came about seven months after Carvajal submitted his resignation amid mounting pressure from Congress after the APs investigation. Though Carvajal is a holdover from the Trump administration, the issuance of the subpoena to compel him to appear before the Senate panel is rare, in part because Democrats have control of both the Senate and the White House. The decision to issue a subpoena exemplifies the lengths members of Congress and congressional investigators are going to bring additional oversight to the embattled agency that has long skirted intense public attention. Jury selection for ex-Trump adviser Bannon heads for 2nd day WASHINGTON (AP) Former Trump adviser Steve Bannons contempt-of-Congress trial will stretch into a second day after lawyers labored through a long Monday session trying to select a jury without preconceived opinions. Bannon is facing criminal charges after refusing for months to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Bannon, an unofficial adviser to President Donald Trump at the time of the Capitol attack is charged in federal court with defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee that sought his records and testimony. He was indicted in November on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress, one month after the Justice Department received a congressional referral. Each count carries a minimum of 30 days of jail and as long as a year behind bars. Monday's session before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols was entirely focused on jury selection in a slow-moving process known as voir dire. By the end of the day, 22 prospective jurors had been identified. The trial will resume Tuesday morning as lawyers for Bannon and the government whittle the list down to 14 with 12 jurors and two alternates. Much of Monday's questioning of potential jurors by Bannons lawyer, Evan Corcoran, centered on how much of the wide coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings they've watched and whether they have opinions about the committee and its work. In one case, a prospective juror told Nichols that remaining impartial would be a challenge for him since I do believe (Bannon) is guilty. Hawaii waves swamp homes, weddings during 'historic' swell HONOLULU (AP) Towering waves on Hawaii's south shores crashed into homes and businesses, spilled across highways and upended weddings over the weekend. The large waves some more than 20 feet (6 meters) high came from a combination of a strong south swell that peaked Saturday evening, particularly high tides and rising sea levels associated with climate change, the National Weather Service said Monday. A wedding Saturday evening in Kailua-Kona was interrupted when a set of large waves swamped the event, sending tables and chairs crashing toward guests. Sara Ackerman, an author who grew up in Hawaii and attended the wedding, filmed the waves as they barreled ashore. It just was huge, she said. I was filming it and then it just came over the wall and just completely annihilated all the tables and chairs. Dan Cox, backed by Trump, wins Maryland GOP governor primary ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A far-right Maryland legislator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Dan Cox, has won the Republican primary for Maryland governor. Cox defeated a moderate rival backed by outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan. Cox will face the winner of the Democratic primary in the November general election. Wes Moore, a bestselling author backed by Oprah Winfrey, had an early lead Tuesday night, with the focus starting to turn to mail ballots that wont be counted until later in the week. Despite being a win for Trump, Coxs victory over former Hogan Cabinet member Kelly Schulz could be a blow to Republican chances to hold on to the seat in November. Sri Lanka Parliament to choose president to lead past crisis COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lanka's Parliament will vote by secret ballot Wednesday for a new president to lead the country out of a deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis. Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe will face a hefty challenge after late support swelled for his main rival. Dullas Alahapperuma was nominated by a breakaway faction of the ruling coalition and ethnic minority parties also said they'll support him. Marxist party leader Anura Dissanayake was also expected to run. The winner will serve the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa's term that ends in 2024. Rajapaksa fled the country and resigned last week after protesters furious over the country's economic collapse stormed his official residence and took over key state buildings. House passes same-sex marriage bill in retort to high court WASHINGTON (AP) The House has overwhelmingly approved a bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriages. Tuesday's vote stands as a direct confrontation with the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority in overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access signaled that other rights may be in jeopardy. While the Respect for Marriage Act easily passed the House, it is likely to stall in the Senate, where most Republicans could stop it with a filibuster. But it's part of a political strategy setting up an election-year roll call that forced all lawmakers to go on the record with their views. Dozens of Republicans joined Democrats in Tuesday's House passage. Most major nations lag in acting on climate-fighting goals WASHINGTON (AP) Most major countries are finding that it's easier to promise to fight climate change than to actually do it. Experts who track action to reduce carbon emissions say only the European Union is close to doing what's necessary to limit global warming to a few more tenths of a degree. A new report finds that the U.S. is on track to cut emissions by 24% to 30% by 2030, but that's far lower than the country's goal of reducing by 50% to 52%. Experts say other nations, particularly China, are waiting to see what happens in the U.S. But Congress and the Supreme Court have stymied the Biden administration's climate-fighting plan. UK breaks record for highest temperature as Europe sizzles LONDON (AP) Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe. The national weather forecaster predicted it would get hotter still in a country ill prepared for such extremes. The typically temperate nation is the latest to be walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that has triggered wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and led to hundreds of heat-related deaths. Images of flames racing toward a French beach and Britons sweltering have driven home concerns about climate change. The U.K. Met Office weather agency registered a provisional reading of 40.3 degrees at Coningsby in eastern England. Elections officials urged to prepare for shortages, delays MADISON, Wis. (AP) Elections officials from across the country meeting under heightened security in swing state Wisconsin are being urged to prepare for supply chain issues that could lead to shortages in paper used for everything from ballots to I voted stickers for years to come. The summer meeting of the National Association of State Election Directors brought together nearly 200 people including elections directors from 33 states, experts in election security, interest groups that work with elections, vendors and others. Election security experts told election directors to be prepared for supply chain issues affecting paper, computer hardware and other services lasting not just for months but potentially years. Putin, in Tehran, gets strong support from Iran over Ukraine TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin won staunch support from Iran for his countrys military campaign in Ukraine, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei saying the West opposes an independent and strong Russia. Khamenei said that if Russia hadnt sent troops into Ukraine, it would have faced an attack from NATO later, a statement that echoed Putins own rhetoric and reflected increasingly close ties between Moscow and Tehran as they both face crippling Western sanctions. NATO allies have bolstered their military presence in Eastern Europand sent weapons to Ukraine to counter the Russian attack. Putin held talks Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on some of the most pressing issues facing the region. Frequent lockdowns may have contributed to Uvalde tragedy UVALDE, Texas (AP) Nearly two months after a deadly shooting a Texas elementary school, a Texas House of Representatives committee report found that nearly 400 officers from local, state and federal agencies responded to the 77-minute rampage in which 19 kids and two teachers died. According to the report, frequent lockdowns contributed to a "diminished sense of vigilance about responding to security alerts. Nearly 50 security alerts and lockdowns were called in Uvalde since February, many of which are attributed to bailouts--- a local term for people fleeing from law enforcement after crossing into the U.S., according to the report. Georgia fake electors may face charges in election probe ATLANTA (AP) The Georgia prosecutor whos investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally interfered in the 2020 election in the state has informed 16 Republicans who served as fake electors that they could face criminal charges. They all signed a certificate declaring falsely that then-President Donald Trump had won the 2020 presidential election and declaring themselves the states duly elected and qualified electors even though Joe Biden had won the state and a slate of Democratic electors was certified. Eleven of them filed a motion Tuesday to quash their subpoenas, calling them unreasonable and oppressive. Stanton, Buxton HRs lead AL over NL for 9th straight ASG win LOS ANGELES (AP) Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton homered back-to-back in the fourth inning to rally the American League over the National League 3-2 in the All-Star Game. It was the AL's ninth straight victory in the Midsummer Classic. Nine-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw got the first start of his career for the NL and pitched one inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Los Angeles two-way star Shohei Ohtani. The NL got a solo shot by Paul Goldschmidt and Dodgers star Mookie Betts had an RBI single in the first. Dodger Stadium hosted the All-Star Game for the first time since 1980. You are here: China Seven people were confirmed dead after strong winds hit a dock in Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang province, leaving a boat and gangway capsized, local authorities said on Monday. At around 12:33 p.m. Sunday, gusts of up to 117 kph struck the dock in the city's Fenghua District. A total of 16 people fell into the water. Secret Service text messages from around the time of the attack on the U.S. Capitol were deleted despite requests from Congress and federal investigators that they be preserved. That is according to a letter from the Secret Service on Tuesday responding to a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Democratic member of the panel, says the Secret Service acknowledged the erasure in a letter, detailing how agency phones were migrated to a new system in the weeks after the attack. She said the agency left it up to individual agents to decide what electronic records to keep and what to delete. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Dan Cox, a far-right state legislator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won the Republican primary for Maryland governor on Tuesday, defeating a moderate rival backed by outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan. Cox will face the winner of the highly competitive Democratic primary in the November general election. Wes Moore, a bestselling author backed by Oprah Winfrey, had an early lead Tuesday night, with the focus starting to turn to mail ballots that wont be counted until later in the week. Despite being a win for Trump, Coxs victory over former Hogan Cabinet member Kelly Schulz could be a blow to Republican chances to hold on to the governor's mansion in November. Hogan, who was prohibited from running for a third consecutive term, was a rare two-term Republican governor in a heavily Democratic state, and he had endorsed Schulz as the successor to his bipartisan style of leadership. Cox has been a thorn in Hogan's side over the last few years, suing over the governor's stay-at-home orders and regulations in the early days of the pandemic and seeking unsuccessfully to impeach him for COVID-19 orders Cox called restrictive and protracted. Cox alluded to his fight with Hogan in his victory speech Tuesday night, telling a cheering crowd: We will never again give over our bodies, our churches and our businesses to a lockdown state. The Republican primary was viewed as a proxy battle between Trump and Hogan, who offered vastly different visions of the partys future as they consider 2024 campaigns for the White House. Hogan, one of Trumps most prominent GOP critics, urged the party to move on from his divisive brand of politics, while Trump spent much of his post-presidency elevating candidates who promote his lies about a stolen 2020 election. One of those candidates was Cox, who organized busloads of protesters to Washington for the Stop the Steal rally that preceded the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Cox has also said President Joe Bidens victory shouldnt have been certified and tweeted that former Vice President Mike Pence was a traitor." Cox later deleted the tweet and apologized. Democrats were likely giddy over Cox's win in the Republican primary. The Democratic Governors Association plowed more than $1 million behind an ad intended to boost Cox, seeing him as an easier opponent in November. Trump, too, was gleeful, saying in a statement shortly before the race was called: "RINO Larry Hogans Endorsement doesnt seem to be working out so well for his heavily favored candidate. Next, Id love to see Larry run for President! Cox joins Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania and Darren Bailey in Illinois as ultraconservative state legislators endorsed by Trump who have gone on to win their Republican nominations for governor. All three fought against their governors' COVID-19 policies, staunchly oppose abortion rights and raised questions about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. In Maryland, it could potentially take days, or even longer, to determine the winners in the most closely contested races, including the Democratic primary for governor. Maryland law prohibits counties from opening mail ballots until the Thursday after election day. In one of the earliest called races of the night, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen beat back a primary challenge just months after suffering a minor stroke. He is favored in November to win a second term against Republican Chris Chaffee, who launched a failed congressional bid in 2014. Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who is awaiting trial on federal criminal charges, was trailing in early returns in her three-way Democratic primary as she seeks a third term. Mosby is charged with perjury and making false statements on loan applications to purchase properties in Florida. She rose to national prominence in 2015 when she pursued criminal charges against six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man who suffered a spinal injury after police handcuffed, shackled and placed him head-first into a van. None of the officers was convicted. In the Democratic primary for governor, the top candidates included Moore, the former CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty organization; Tom Perez, a former U.S. labor secretary and former Democratic Party chair; and Peter Franchot, the state's four-term state comptroller. Laura Kretchman, a 41-year-old high school teacher, said she voted for Moore, swayed in part by his endorsement from the state's teachers union. She said she's impressed by Moore's accomplishments after rising above childhood challenges and being raised by a single mom. I teach children at a school that also come from difficult upbringings, so Id like to see maybe what he can bring to helping those students that are struggling and challenged, said Kretchman, an Annapolis resident. Other voters said they preferred a long resume of government service. That's why Curtis Fatig, 67, voted for Perez. Hes not a newcomer, Fatig said. Cox's victory on Tuesday serves as a win for Trump, who has a mixed endorsement record in this year's midterm elections. But in such a heavily Democratic state, his candidate faces an uphill battle heading into the fall. Some Republican voters said Trump's endorsement persuaded them to vote for Cox. Others said it didn't matter. David Gateau, 63, said he voted for Cox because he believes Maryland is extremely liberal and we need to get back to some values. Trumps endorsement, he said, wasnt really a factor. I think Hogan was more of a RINO than he was a Republican governor, and I think our state reflects that," Gateau said. Cameron Martin, 22, said Trump's endorsement was the main reason he voted for Cox, but added that he feels like Cox shares his Republican values and that "he will best represent me. Maryland's only open congressional seat was in the 4th Congressional District, a heavily Democratic Black-majority district. Former county prosecutor Glenn Ivey won the Democratic primary, defeating former Rep. Donna Edwards, who previously held the seat. The incumbent in the 4th District, Rep. Anthony Brown, left his seat to run for attorney general. He won the Democratic primary on Tuesday night, defeating Katie Curran O'Malley, the former first lady, a former Baltimore judge and the daughter of former Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. Brown was Gov. Martin O'Malley's lieutenant governor. Candidates were on the ballot for all 188 seats in the Maryland General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats. The Maryland primary was delayed by three weeks because of lawsuits challenging the states congressional and state legislative maps. Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ap_politics. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman in Silver Spring contributed to this report. Jill Biden and Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, have met again, this time at the White House. Their meeting Tuesday was a follow-up after they first met in eastern Europe on Mother's Day. President Joe Biden joined his wife to help welcome Zelenska and give her a bouquet of flowers. Zelenska is on a high-profile visit to Washington this week. She accepted a human rights award on behalf of the Ukrainian people on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she's set to address members of Congress at the Capitol. She also had meetings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Samantha Power, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Two Omaha teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting last year at 39th Street and Ames Avenue. Mariano Flores and Quan White, both 16, were arrested in connection with the June 16, 2021, shooting death of 37-year-old Timothy Washington III. They were booked into the Douglas County Youth Center. Flores and White also were arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, shooting at an occupied dwelling or vehicle and three counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony. Nowa Kawunda, 15, previously was charged with first-degree murder in Washingtons slaying. Kawunda has filed a motion to have his case transferred to juvenile court. Brenda Beadle, the chief deputy in the Douglas County Attorneys Office, said last month that Kawunda also is accused of shooting a man who was sitting in a parked vehicle near 28th and Spencer streets on the same night. Kawunda, who is being held on $1 million bail, also has been charged with first-degree assault, two counts of robbery, two counts of shooting at an occupied dwelling or vehicle and five counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony. Washingtons older sister, Rayonta Washington, said Washington had three children. Walk into courtrooms around Nebraska, from Dakota City to Sidney and Valentine to Falls City, or anywhere outside of Omaha, and you're not likely to see much diversity behind the bench. Or in the people who practice law at counsel tables there. But a new nonprofit is working to change that. In the fall, Shawntal Mallory took the helm of the Nebraska Legal Diversity Council, which is focused on developing a more culturally diverse and inclusive legal community in the state. "We kind of hit the ground running and we've really been really running ever since," she told the Journal Star earlier this month. The idea isn't a new one in Nebraska, where around 95% of lawyers are white, while white people account for 85% of the population, according to recent Bureau of Labor statistics. In 2003, the Minority Justice Committee, a joint committee of the Nebraska Supreme Court and the Nebraska Bar Association, started with similar goals in mind of addressing racial disparities in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems, ensuring equal access to justice and increasing the diversity of Nebraskas legal profession and judicial workforces. But a lack of funding led that group to dissolve in 2014. Since then, Mallory said, people have continued the work in committees, like the Supreme Court's Committee on Ethnic, Racial, and Gender Fairness, formed in October 2017, or informally on their own within their own law firms. But they noticed they weren't really moving the needle like they wanted to on diversity in the state's legal community. "That's why they decided to start our organization," Mallory said. It started with a meeting a few years ago where Richard Moberly, dean at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Law, and a group from the bar association brainstormed ways to make more impact on diversity, equity and inclusion by working together. COVID-19 delayed the project. But last November, Mallory was hired and things started taking shape. The difference this time? The effort involves a nonprofit made up of 13 law firms and three corporate partners, in addition to the Nebraska Bar Association, Creighton School of Law and University of Nebraska College of Law, which all agreed to contribute in the first three years. Within three months, the group had raised $570,000. "We can't do this work on our own, so we've tried to engage external partners to think about where the College of Law sits in this continuum of educating and provide diverse attorneys to meet the needs of diverse clients," Moberly said. He said they've been sending students out into a workforce that is overwhelmingly white, particularly in Nebraska. The aim is to create a pipeline to bring diverse students to study at the state's law schools, who then stay and join the legal profession here. Moberly said he believes it is the only organization like it in the country where the legal community is working together to change the way diversity is being addressed in the state. "I think that collective impact approach will hopefully make a difference for us," he said. Mallory said the council has identified four focus areas, starting with working to get more people from diverse backgrounds interested in pursuing careers in the law earlier. "Representation matters," she said. "It's important for people to walk into the judicial system or into a law office or wherever legal services are being provided and see people who look like them and people with the same lived experience as them." They want to increase enrollment of people of underrepresented or diverse backgrounds at the state's law schools with the hope they'll love it here, take the bar exam and practice here, Mallory said. They also will work to attract a more diverse workforce to the state. That includes all areas of underrepresentation, whether it be gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity and those with disabilities. Though they are "hyper-focused" now on ethnic and racial diversity because there are such low numbers here, she said. Mallory said the council will prioritize supporting lawyers of diverse backgrounds who already are working here and help legal employers on equitable and inclusive hiring practices and ways to foster a culture of inclusivity, equity, access and belonging. "They realize that high-performing law firms and teams work when we have diversity of thought and background on our teams," she said. They are developing a mentoring program to match law school students with practicing attorneys in the state and creating a tool kit for employer partners to help them develop modern practices around how they recruit and retain employees. They've done focus groups and individual interviews to get at why people here are staying here, what's helped them in their career and what they need for support. It can be difficult, Mallory acknowledged. Racial and ethnic issues, immigrants and immigration are polarizing, sensitive subjects right now, she said. So they're trying to focus on collaboration in ideas. In Nebraska, where the governor appoints the judges, she said, it can present a challenge for the work that they're trying to do to add diversity to the bench. Of the 63 judges current Gov. Pete Ricketts has appointed in his two terms in office, only four have been people of color. Among them, the first Black female district court judge (Tressa Alioth) and first Native American judge (Andrea Miller). It's unclear how many others applied. The Nebraska Supreme Court doesn't currently ask for or track that information. Ricketts' spokeswoman, Alex Reuss, said his priority has been appointing "prudent men and women who have a strong grasp of the law. Its important that they apply the letter of law to cases without being driven by personal political or policy beliefs." She said Ricketts values diversity of representation, "but the driving factor for judicial appointments continues to be a candidate's merit and judicial philosophy." She pointed out that 21 of his appointments (nearly a third) happened to be women. "The governor chooses the best candidate for the position," Reuss said. She said Ricketts encourages anyone interested in being a judge to apply and minority candidates to look at judicial opportunities in other parts of the state beyond Douglas County. "The only way we will get more diverse candidates on the bench is for them to apply," Reuss said. "Weve already seen this work, as more women have applied to be a judge and the bench reflects that." Mallory said the legal diversity council will be looking at the strides that have been made to get more women into the field, as a guide that could be applied to other areas. Most law schools, like UNL's, now are close to 50-50 enrollment for women, she said. And the bench is becoming more diverse for women, including on the United States Supreme Court, where there now are four women, the most the country has ever had. Mallory said she hopes folks along both party lines would see the importance of having a diverse bench and of presenting Nebraska as a place where folks would want to come to live and to practice law or be a judge. "I feel like our state is a better state when there's a diverse representation, whether that's politically, racially, ethnically, in ability, all of those things. I would hope that would be a priority for our next governor as well," she said. Compared with the tabloid monster that was Bennifer in the aughts, Bennifer 2.0 has been a relatively low-key affair, and that held true when the pair finally tied the knot over the weekend. Unlike the huge ceremony the couple planned in 2003 before they called it off, they went for a small, quickie wedding in Vegas. But one detail about the marriage sticks out as decidedly not low-keyperhaps, in fact, as a bit high-key: Jennifer Lopez is taking Ben Afflecks last name. Advertisement News of the name change reached the masses when Lopez, or rather, the artist formerly known as Lopez (?), sent out an edition of her email newsletter with details about the wedding on Sunday evening and signed it, With love, Mrs. Jennifer Lynn Affleck. Like she was just gonna slip that one past us without talking about it! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a surprising move for an international superstar whose name and nickname are so famous that her aforementioned newsletter is actually called On the JLo. It seems unlikely that shell change her newsletters name or start using the Jennifer Affleck name professionally, nor will fans stop calling her Jennifer Lopez or J.Lo, the way everyone still uses the names Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. Instead, the name change seems largely symbolic, especially when considered alongside a video from 2003 that resurfaced around the wedding news wherein Lopez tells Access Hollywoods Pat OBrien that her married name will be Jennifer Affleck, obviously. This is Lopezs fourth marriage, and its unclear whether she changed her name privately for previous marriages, though I dont recall any messages to fans that announced the new Jennifer Anthony back in 2004. Advertisement Advertisement Still, the idea of someone as accomplished as Jennifer Lopez changing her name struck some fans and commentators as a bit retro, even as it remains a very popular practice: Some 70 percent of U.S. women opt to take their husbands names when getting married. It would feel almost equally retro to publicly criticize a woman for deciding to take her husbands name. This was nobodys choice but Lopezs, and if she wants to try to make J.Aff happen, by God, she should get to. But thinking about the merits of Jennifer Lopez vs. Jennifer Affleck does raise a tantalizing third possibilityone that, in an alternate reality, I would have loved to see come to fruition: Ben Lopez. Advertisement Think about it. How fun would that have been? Any couple could go with the wifes name just for the hell of it, but it would be particularly befitting Lopez and Afflecks pre-existing public personas: She is a world-famous triple threat. His achievements as an actor and director (making him a double threat, which is one less than triple, for anyone counting) have often been overshadowed by his personal narrative, which has included a high-profile divorce, struggles with addiction, and endless paparazzi photos of his romantic entanglements. She, too, is divorced and has been in high-profile relationships, but somehow she never comes off as quite as divorced as him, despite being literally three times more divorced. Personally and professionally, she runs a tight ship. This is not to say that a married couples last name should be determined by who has the most talents, but shouldnt this all count for something? The first time the two were together, it was suggested that Affleck felt emasculated by all the attention their relationship was getting. To embrace life as Ben Lopez, wife guy, as hes already started to do publicly, would be a powerful way to signal to the world that the new Mr. Lopez is secure enough not to worry about such things. He could take a page out of second gentleman Douglas Emhoffs book and very publicly commit to taking a backseat to her. He would instantly become the most enlightened guy at any Dunkin. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This would also only cement Afflecks ongoing rebrand. When he and Lopez rekindled their romance last year, he was just coming off a string of failed relationships, including, most recently, with actress Ana de Armas, and a not-so-celebrated run in his career, not to mention that one photo of him staring plaintively at the ocean with the sad phoenix back tattoo. Since getting together with J.Lo, hes been looking gooda man on the mend. Why not own it? Besides, Affleck famously speaks Spanish. He famously loves Jennifer Lopez. Something tells me he would get a kick out of going by Ben Lopez. Maybe it would be in a self-congratulatory way that kind of undermines the whole project of using Lopezs last name, but even so! And there would be a new nickname in it for him to boot: B.Lo. Appropriate for the man that puts his wife above him, no? Alas, this is all a pipe dream now. Im happy for Jennifer Lynn Affleck (and for Ben Affleck too), but I cant help but long for what might have been. The Supreme Courts June 24 decision overruling Roe v. Wade unleashed an immediate and relentless flood of cruelty against pregnant Americans. Child victims of rape and incest, including a 10-year-old girl in Ohio, must cross state lines to obtain abortions. Patients undergoing a miscarriage are compelled to bleed out for days and risk sepsis before doctors are willing to terminate their pregnancies. Those with ectopic pregnancies, which are lethal and non-viable, are denied treatment due to the presence of a fetal heartbeat. Women suspected of being pregnant are denied vital treatment for autoimmune disorders because they happen to induce abortion, too. Advertisement In the face of these horror stories, the anti-abortion movement has doubled down. Jim Bopp, general counsel for the National Right to Life, said that the 10-year-old girl rape victim Ohio should have been forced to carry her rapists fetus, telling Politico: She would have had the baby, and as many women who have had babies as a result of rape, we would hope that she would understand the reason and ultimately the benefit of having the child. Other anti-abortion groups condemned the girls abortion as violence perpetuated against her. And John Seago, the president of Texas Right to Life, acknowledged that abortion bans may cause doctors to delay care for miscarriage patients until complications arise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These organizations are defending a legal regime that they helped to craft. Most post-Roe abortion bans contain no exception for rape or incest, and only an extremely vague, narrow exception to protect the life of the mother. These laws are crafted to outlaw abortion in all but the most dire circumstances, when the patient is actively dying because of pregnancyand even then, the bans are so ambiguous that doctors fear liability if they terminate. On Monday, I spoke about this new generation of stringent laws with Mary Ziegler, a professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law and a preeminent expert on the history of abortion in the United States. Our conversation has been edited for clarity. Advertisement Mark Joseph Stern: Whats the origin of exceptions for rape and incest? Mary Ziegler: In the 60s, the American Law Institute came out with this law thats supposed to be a model for states that want to make modest changes to their abortion bans. It includes a rape and incest exception. The model legislation is perceived as a compromise and a lot of Republicans support it. But the anti-abortion movement hates itand hates the rape and incest exceptions in particular. Advertisement When these reforms came about, the anti-abortion movement was primarily Catholic, small, and under-funded. It had been talking about abortion in the same breath as contraception. That was not helpful. Americans were not interested in a movement to fight contraception. People who were non-Catholics or non-believers didnt want to support a sectarian movement. The anti-abortion movement needed some explanation why abortion bans should exist, and why these reformswhich werent radicalwere bad. The argument that really stuck was about personhood. The anti-abortion movement argued that the word person in the 14th Amendment applied before birth, so abortion was an unconstitutional denial of rights. That was the way they could oppose the rape exception. Because if you cant kill an adult or teenager or five-year-old because they were conceived in rape, then you cant terminate a pregnancy, either. It becomes their go-to argument. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some anti-abortion advocates asserted that abortion bans protect rape victims. After a 10-year-old rape victim crossed state lines to terminate her pregnancy, Ohio Right to Life claimed that the abortion only added to the pain and violence perpetuated against her. Students for Life of America said the violence of rape will not be cured by the violence of abortion. Is this reasoning familiar to you? Advertisement Advertisement Thats relatively new. The movement started focusing on the idea that abortion hurt women more in the 90s. Early on, in the 60s, there was lots of other victim-blaming. Lots of anti-abortion thinkers would say: Well, women are going to just cry rape. Women are going to have consensual sex, get pregnant, and invoke a rape exception. Henry Hyde [author of the amendment limiting federal funding of abortion] famously complained that if women claim rape, no other accountability is asked of them. They dont have to prove it. So there is a distrust of women that runs through a lot of this. And also a sense that if theres a contrast between a fetus and a woman as to whos more innocent and more deserving, its always going to be the fetus. Advertisement Then there was this conviction, based on an argument going back to the 19th century, that people couldnt get pregnant unless the sex was consensual. They would say that was true even of incest. So as soon as the new anti-abortion movement exists, theres very strong opposition to rape and incest exceptions. Support for these exceptions was a strategic development that came later. Advertisement What led the movementor at least some parts of itto make concessions for rape and incest? From the very beginning of polling, rape and incest exceptions have been very popular. By the mid-70s, the anti-abortion movement was being run by self-proclaimed incrementalists who were deeply pragmatic. Opposing rape and incest exceptions would alienate voters, the GOP, and the Supreme Court. Rape fell into what the movement called the hard cases where support for abortion access ran particularly high. There was an argument within the movement that unless you really need to, you dont address the hard cases. Advertisement Advertisement The GOP did the same thing. By the time it shakes out that the GOP is the anti-abortion partywhich was not fully clear until 1980you still have Republican politicians saying theyre for the rape and incest exception. That continues from Ronald Reagan through Donald Trump. If you ask Republican politicians whether they support a nationwide ban, the answer is always yes, but with a rape exception. Thats only started to change recently. When did these exceptions start to fall out of favor among Republican lawmakers? After Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 2018, you see this explosion of laws without rape or incest exceptions. At the time, this felt quite sudden to a lot of people. This generation of lawsthe so-called heartbeat billsban abortion at six weeks, and most did not have rape or incest exceptions. I think thats a direct response to the changing of the Supreme Court. Previously, Republican legislators had a sense that pushing too hard on unpopular things like abolishing rape or incest exceptions could make it harder to reverse Roe. But they read Kavanaughs confirmation as a sign that Roe would go anyway. There was no more need to soft-soap their position on things like rape, and the Supreme Court was down for anythingthere was no need to worry about them anymore. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It can feel like the GOP has taken the same hardline stance against reproductive rights for decades. But youre saying their position has grown more extreme over the last years. The GOP did change. It became much more beholden to the anti-abortion movement and much less concerned about competition because of a combination of political polarization, gerrymandering, limits on access to the vote. These are essentially one-party states. Republican politicians arent worried these positions will be unpopular with voters because voters wouldnt elect Democrats anyway. Advertisement Advertisement In other words, democratic backsliding has allowed anti-abortion advocates to stop hiding the ball. They think that in about half the country, maybe more, they can just say whatever they want and nothing will happen. Even if voters dont like it, they wont actually do anything about it. The Supreme Court will either ignore it or reward it. If you have always believed this, and there are no negative consequences to asking for what you want, then thats what you do. Advertisement As a result, what used to be considered fringe views are suddenly mainstream. When the 10-year-old child in Ohio was raped and forced across state lines, the person we saw defending the idea that she should carry pregnancy to term was Jim Bopp. He had previously been the leading figure of the cautious, pragmatic wing of the movement. He had flown down to Ohio to testify against a heartbeat bill. These are the pragmatists. This is not the fringe of the movement at all. Advertisement Lets turn to abortion bans that contain extremely vague and narrow exceptions for the life of the mother. Already, women experiencing a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy have been denied care as a result, resulting in horrific pain and suffering. Do you think this denial of care is one of the purposes of these laws or an unintended consequence? Advertisement I think its one of the purposes, but itll have unintended consequences. The more of a push there is to shut down access to anything that could be designated an abortion, the more likely it is that pregnant people who are not even seeking abortions are going to die. We know, from examples like Ireland, that when that happens, it can mobilize a lot of people who are not as interested in the abortion issue. If anti-abortion groups were being politically savvy, they would write much more capacious, much clearer emergency exceptions. Even if they did that, a lot of doctors wouldnt perform an abortion anyway, but the groups would have more plausible deniability and less of a backlash. Advertisement Advertisement My sense is that many anti-abortion advocates believe it is worth risking the death of the patient by providing extremely narrow health exemptions in order to spare a maximum number of fetuses from termination. Do you think thats fair? Advertisement Advertisement I think thats fair. There has been a growing push to get rid of life-saving exceptions. In the worldview most folks in the anti-abortion movement have, abortion is murder. Its worse not only in the sense that its certain death, but that its intentional. From their standpoint, if some women die because theyre refused care, that isnt a certain death, there isnt intentionally going to be a death, so thats the lesser of the evils in that situation. Do you think theyll stick with that position even as we are overwhelmed with stories of women brought to the brink of death because theyre denied care for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies? I havent seen any sign that theyre going to change. From their own standpoint, they probably should. I dont think this will do them any favors unless the democracy is so broken that nothing matters any more. If anything, what you see is a doubling down. The Idaho GOPs platform came out opposing exceptions for the life of the pregnant person after these stories. If anything, the movement seems to be moving in the opposite direction. You are here: China Eight people were injured after an explosion rocked a residential building in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Tuesday, according to the local authorities. An investigation is underway. On the latest episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick spoke with former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder about his recent book, Our Unfinished March, which discusses how voting rights have been broken and offers a plan for restoring our democratic institutions. In the following excerpt from the episode, Lithwick and Holder discuss a private protest that Holder explained more fully in the book. Dahlia Lithwick: Can I ask you about one part that really broke my heart? You describe, partway through the book, your own silent protest after Shelby County comes down. Its always been the case that the attorney general symbolically argues one case at the Supreme Court. And usually its an easy lift, but its important and symbolic. And you say that after Shelby, you just couldnt do it. You wrote: I didnt want to pretend that this was a Supreme Court like any other, that the justices were good faith actors, that a tradition should be followed. They had without legitimate basis undermined our most fundamental right. A right that Americans of past generations, some of whom looked like me, had died to secure the right to vote. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And then you say, This was a silent protest. You hadnt told people till now that you would not appear before that court as the AG of the United States. Wow. Theres so much in there that I want to ask you about. But I think at the heart of what youre saying is: I love this institution. I revere this institution. As a young attorney, this was a temple of sorts for you. And then once it was so fundamentally enshrining something that, particularly as a Black man, you could not abide, you just couldnt participate in giving cover to the idea that its legitimate. Thats so complicated. And I wanted to give you a minute to think about it out loud. Advertisement Eric Holder: Yeah, it is complicated. And the book describes the transition that the young Eric goes through to get to where Attorney General Holder ended up. Because my first trip to Washington, D.C., was as a first-year intern. I just completed my first year of law school. I was working at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and was tasked with the enormous responsibility of getting on the Eastern shuttle, flying from New York to Washington, going to the Supreme Court Clerks Office, and just filing something. Advertisement It was my first trip to Washington, and I walked into the Supreme Court. They gave me a bunch of pamphlets, and it described who was on the court. I remember standing on the steps of the court, looking at the Capitol. Id never been to Washington, D.C., before. Id seen everything on my little black and white TV in Queens, and now Im seeing everything in color and it became real. I could see off in the distance where Dr. King gave his speech in 1963 at the March on Washington. Im in the Supreme Court. Im looking at Congress. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It was, for meeven though I knew the Supreme Court had not gotten everything right, even up to that pointa breathtaking experience for me. And I remember how charged up I felt on that plane ride back from Washington to New York. And then you fast-forward to the attorney general of the United States. Its just as you say. I watched Janet Reno, when I was deputy attorney general, prepare for her argument and being assured over and over and over again, Theres no way youre going to lose this case. This is the easiest case were going to have to argue. Its important symbolically for you to interact with the justices. Every attorney general does it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And so I decided I wouldnt do it in the first term because I just thought whatever I say up there on whatever case will somehow get misconstrued. I dont want to have the White House mad at me for having some negative impact on Baracks reelection efforts. Ill do it in the second term. And then Shelby County comes down. After Shelby County, I felt that if I were to go there as the first African American attorney general, as if this abomination of a case had not occurred, that my people were not negatively impacted by what it is that five of these justices had done. I said, No, Im not going to do that. Im not going to just say this is business as usual. Advertisement Now, I didnt make a big deal of it. I could have announced Im not going to go and argue a case for the reasons Ive just outlined. But I said, Im not going to participate. Im just not going to go up there and at least put a veneer on what my feelings are, which was I was distraught. I was angry. I was very troubled by what the court had done in the Shelby County case. And I call it the Shelby County case, but its more appropriately Shelby County v. Holder. And thats something that to this day disturbs me. The notion that my name is associated with the case that eviscerated the crown jewel of the civil rights movement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, I decided no matter how easy the case, no matter what the tradition, the most important thing that this Black man could do would be not to participate in a process that had led to, or was in the process of leading to, the evisceration of the thing that had most helped my people during the course of our stay in this nation. The right to vote is what made me attorney general. The right to vote is what lifted my people out of poverty. The right to vote is the thing that has protected the lives of Black Americans through the course of the history of this nation. And so this Black man was not going to stand before the Supreme Court and say, Im here to win an easy case. Im not going to do that. But I wanted to, at some point, make clear why I did what I did or why I didnt do what people expected me to do. And this book gave me the opportunity to explain it. Advertisement The reason its so painful to hear you talk about it for me is that I, in a much smaller scale after the Kavanaugh hearings and as a woman who sat in the chamber during the Kavanaugh hearings, had the same experience where I just had to stop going into the Supreme Court. And for a long time, it was a secret protest, as was yours. It took me a long time to write about why I couldnt go in the room. But what I love about what youre saying and what I hear in what youre saying is that this is a function of adoring this institution. Not hating this institution. Advertisement Advertisement Right. This is an institution that gave us Brown. This is an institution that gave us Griswold and Casey and Cooper v. Aaron. And it is not from a place of pique. It is from a place of I dont know how to hold the idea in my head that it is both lofty and broken. And thats what these protests are about is not wanting to participate in saying that the thing that is now broken is still lofty. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But for me, it just was very powerful to read it. The book literally has a checklist of stuff people can be doing right now about gerrymandering, about the Electoral College, about fixing the Senate, about doing away with the filibuster. Ultimately this is a show about the Supreme Court, so I need to give you a chance to talk about your notions about how to fix this Supreme Court that you could not bring yourself to argue in front of. And youve got a couple of suggestions, and I just want you to talk about them, in no small part, because we seem to be in a moment where everybody, again, feels as though there is nothing to be done. The court is the court and the court is made of magic, and we all have to exceed to that reality. You have some simple fixes, simple and constitutional fixes. Advertisement Advertisement And they come from a place, to echo what you said, a place of love, from a desire to have an institution that I revere or have revered return to the place where I think it should be. I think we should reduce the amount of time that people serve on the court. Lifetime appointments, when made at the beginning part of the republic, made sense. It insulated people from political pressure. People didnt live nearly as long as they do now so they didnt serve nearly as long as they do now. People also left the court in the early parts of the republic, not making a determination about who would appoint their successor, but simply because they died. Advertisement And this is one of the places where the chief justice and I, as I point out in the book, tend to agree. I think we should have 18-year terms. He says 15-year terms. But I think to have people serving on the Supreme court for 30, sometimes close to 40, years, in an unelected position, that gives a person too much power. People serve in Congress and in the Senate for extended periods of time. But at the very least, theres at least nominally a check that the American people have on that power by voting for them or voting them out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court, theyre looking for early 50s, late 40-year-olds, so that they will serve for, again, 30, 40 years, which is not to take any shots at any of the people who are on the court. But 1518 year terms makes a great deal of sense. I like 18 because that goes along with my other proposal, which is that every president in his or her term should in the first year appoint a Supreme Court justice and in the third year appoint a Supreme Court justice. And if you have 18-year terms, over time, you will get to a court that gets back to nine members. Advertisement Because the other thing that I say we have to do is expand the court to deal with the way in which it was politicized by Mitch McConnell and his Republican conspirators, by telling Merrick Garland you cant get a hearing because its too close to an election. And then putting Amy Coney Barrett on the court while people were in the process of voting. The American people understand that was not right. That was not appropriate. What people dont understand is the impact that had. This would be a court now that would have a 54 progressive democratically appointed majority. Advertisement And so, the Rucho case, where the Supreme Court said, Were not going to deal with partisan gerrymandering, probably wouldve been decided in a different way. The Janus case that dealt with union power wouldve probably been decided in a different way. Theres a whole range of cases from the time Merrick Garland wouldve gone on the court until now, and then continuing with somebody different than Amy Coney Barrett being appointed by President Joe Biden that would have transformed the court. We would not have had to deal with the whole question of Roe v. Wade. That court would not have had to deal with what the court did. Advertisement Advertisement So theres a whole variety of things in a very practical way that these suggestions that Im making. A lot of people are going to say, Youre talking about the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the presidency, voting. Thats impossible. How are you going to do that? But thats the point of the book. We have made substantial changes before, changes that seemed impossible, obstacles that seemed insurmountable. And the American people energized, focused, committed, prepared to sacrifice, brought those changes about. And it is during those times when America has shown that its in fact an exceptional nation, when we end slavery, when we end Jim Crow, when we make sure that women have the right to vote, when we pass a voting rights act so that we eliminate poll taxes, literacy tests. All of these things, thats when this nation shows itself to be great. And we can do it once again. People underestimate the power that we have as so-called ordinary citizens. We have within ourselves the power to do extraordinary things. I hope people will come away from [the book] feeling a sense of optimism and a renewed sense of commitment. To hear the entire discussion, listen below, or subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last week news broke that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had sent target letters to state senator Burt Jones, Republican Gov. Brian Kemps running mate for lieutenant governor, as well as to the chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, David Shafer. It has since emerged that such letters have gone to all 16 of the pro-Trump fake electors who met secretly on December 14, 2020 to falsely name themselves Georgias official electors. Their actions were part of the Trump campaigns unlawful scheme to keep Trump in power. (The campaign also organized false electors in the battleground states of Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Michigan.) Advertisement The target letters show that Willis appears to be ahead of the U.S. Department of Justice on this front. While Merrick Garlands DOJ has subpoenaed Shafer, as well as Brad Carver, another one of the fake electors in Georgia, as part of its general Jan. 6 investigation and has also asked the House January 6 Select Committee for its witness interviews regarding the fake elector scheme, target letters signal a more advanced step. Such letters generally go to individuals to notify them that there is substantial evidence that they have committed a crime, and there is potential for indictment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Willis is showing just how to do exactly what good prosecutors do: follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor. Attorney General Garland has promised the same on the federal level and we hope that his department catches up to Willis. Advertisement Advertisement Not only do the target letters map onto Willis no-nonsense and transparent style in this investigation, they also show she is moving forward diligently against any Trump-related alleged crimes to which the facts may lead, regardless of which high officials in her state may be charged. With opposite party politicians in her crosshairs, she would know the pushback to come: This is all political. And it didnt take long. Quickly after the news broke, Randy Evans, a Georgia Republican who was Trumps ambassador to Luxembourg, described Willis action this way: It drops it right into a characterization of this as a political, partisan witch hunt. Willis response? I dont make decisions based on what people say about me. Advertisement Good for her. Just as we have seen from Willis before, she is showing herself to be a prosecutor unfazed by allegations of partisanship when she sees evidence that politicians with large megaphones with which to denounce her may have committed chargeable crimes. Advertisement As if to punctuate the point, on Monday, Willis subpoenaed failed Georgia Republican secretary of state candidate, Rep. Jody Hice, who was among 11 House Republicans who met with Trump on December 21, 2020 to make plans for January 6. That kind of boldness seems to stand in contrast with the DOJ. Observers have suggested that the Justice Department is moving more slowly and cautiously to investigate Trump out of concern that he might label the effort a partisan witch hunt and that some might believe his disinformation campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Willis has not shown any such hesitation. She has said that she is considering subpoenaing Trump. She already subpoenaed Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Trump- attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Cleta Mitchell, and Kenneth Chesebro. Advertisement Advertisement As is to be expected, as the investigation has intensified, those who were involved whether as targets or witnesses have begun flailing about, filing motions making a range of arguments from attempting to disqualify the prosecutor to arguing that their conduct is somehow constitutionally protected to contending that they have been treated unfairly. Were accustomed to these kinds of wild allegations from our collective century plus of experience with the criminal justice system. We do not anticipate that they will slow this driven prosecutor down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Trump, who is reportedly mulling a ploy of his own, is said to be considering announcing his candidacy before the midterms. One obvious motivation to jump in so earlywould be for Trump to try to use his reelection bid to save himself from the Georgia grand jury probe and any investigations stemming in part from the Jan. 6 committee. Of course, as criminal lawyer Ty Cobb, Trumps attorney in the early phases of the Mueller investigation said in an interview with NBC News, such an announcement does not inoculate him from criminal investigation. Willis knows that too. Her investigation appears to have multiple prongs. They include the bogus elector scheme; Trumps infamous recorded phone call on January 2, 2021, soliciting Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes; Trumps call to election investigators in the Georgia secretary of states office; Trump having phoned Georgias attorney general; the targeting of local Georgia election workers for harassment and disinformation; and Giulianis and Eastmans December 2020 testimony before Georgia state legislators trying to cause them to replace the Democratic slate of electors that had already been certified as part of Joe Bidens win in the state with the phony set of winning Trump electors. Advertisement Advertisement Those actions might be charged as individual Georgia crimes, such as solicitation of election fraud. Alternatively, they might be charged as overt acts in furtherance of a conspiracy to violate Georgia criminal statutes. The law of conspiracy requires the charging and proof of at least one such overt act. Or a Georgia grand jury could list the interlocking schemes as related predicate crimes supporting a racketeering charge under Georgias RICO statute. The statute provides that no person may control or participate in the conduct of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, which means committing two or more related predicate crimes on a long list of offenses in that statute. All of these offenses are potentially serious. A person convicted of a Georgia RICO violation may receive up to 20 years in state prison. DA Willis has said that even a high-ranking public official is not immune from prosecution. Thats a fundamental principle if no one is truly to be above the law. As Willis said earlier this month about her commitment to protecting the integrity of Georgias elections: This is not a game. Her actions meet her words. As the Jackson County prosecutor, Jean Peters Baker swore an oath: to uphold Missouris laws. And then, Roe v. Wade was overturned. And Baker had to try to figure out what, exactly, the law was. In Missouri, an abortion trigger law was nearly instantaneous. Within the first 15 minutes, it became law in Missouri upon the decision being released, Baker says. I had to pivot pretty hard to see, OK, what is this new law? And then I realized, oh, its a near-total ban. Advertisement Baker has scoured the law itself, of course. Missouris ban passed in 2019. Now that Roes been overturned, it makes performing an abortion a Class B felony. The impact of these new laws has been chaotic. People are only now realizing the import of those words that they put into law and what does it mean, Baker says. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Tuesdays episode of What Next, we spoke to this Missouri prosecutor, who doesnt want to put women or doctors on trial over abortion, but shes not sure shell be able to avoid it. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Mary Harris: Jean Peters Baker follows the news. She saw the big abortion ruling coming. But the thing is: She didnt quite believe it. Advertisement Advertisement For me, it was, Wow, its hard to put my head around all that. Its hard sometimes to prepare in advance for something that you even seen barreling down the tracks. Baker lives in a bluish part of Missouri. Her county contains a chunk of Kansas City and some nearby suburbs. She worked in the local prosecutors office for over a decade, and then in 2012 she was elected to run the place. When the Supreme Court ruling came down overturning Roe, she was prepared. She told her constituents shed use her prosecutorial discretion to limit how many abortion-related cases ended up in court. Its not entirely clear, though, what that is going to look like, even now. Advertisement My job is to uphold all Missouri laws, even those I dont have a grand amount of respect for and that I think might do some harm. Now, that said, its very, very important for me to tell your listeners that I do have discretion, and I will use my discretion in ways that help my constituents rather than needlessly harm them. Advertisement Man, that feels like such a squishy promise. And I understand that youre in a difficult position. Would you say you support abortion rights? I do, as an individual, as a female, and politically, I do. But as a prosecutor, this is not the county of Jean Peters Baker. This is the county of Jackson, under the state of Missouri. And so the oath I took was to uphold all Missouri laws. That said, I can review these cases with a great amount of skepticism. I can view them knowing that maybe the black letter law might look easy, but the facts of these cases will not be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Is there any circumstance in which you see yourself prosecuting a health care provider or a woman over abortion? So theres the rub. Keep in mind, Ive been doing this job for quite a while. Im closing in on my 25th year of this kind of work. One of the things Ive learned is that you need to be careful of saying never or always. The facts of individual cases are going to guide what happens. Ive looked at a case before that was brought to me outside of the protections of Roe and chose not to prosecute that case after I did some more probing. That led me to a completely different place, and it led me to not prosecute that young woman. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What were the facts? Do you mind laying them out? It was a very young mom. Id say about six years ago. The father was out of the picture, and she ordered drugs through the mail. She did abort her fetus, but she also nearly killed herself. Theres some other factors layered in there. Her socioeconomic status was very low. She had no family support, so she was just somebody out there on her own struggling. And I dont believe my system is meant to bring her into a courtroom. I did not prosecute that case because I learned during my review of it that she was suicidal, that she almost killed herself by taking those drugs. Advertisement And to you that was mitigating. Of course it was. And every prosecutor should want to know those things. So you need to go out and get them yourself. And perhaps for the health care provider, you need to fully understand that individuals thought about what they needed to do as a health care provider. Whats their oath? Advertisement Im trying to put myself in the position of a physician in Jackson County who has maybe provided abortions in the past and may be looking for guidance about what to do now. And I feel like hearing what youre saying, it makes a lot of sense. But I guess it also doesnt give me a ton of reassurance that Im not going to be dragged through a process for doing what I see as my job. And I also look at you and the fact that you were elected. You could be no longer the prosecutor in a few years. And then maybe Im really in trouble. Advertisement Advertisement Thats right. Thats true, too. What do you hope that doctors do in your county, hearing your position. What do you hope it gives them? I really would love to be able to give health care professionals reassurance. All I can do, though, in this moment is give them the notion that I will give everybody a fair shake, that my job is to review the law to make sure that I am upholding my role as the prosecutor. But even that said, I believe in the work that health care providers do. I believe that they are the experts, not me, and that I want to respect the work that they do. Theres a Republican county prosecutor in your region, in Platte County, who said he will pursue abortion ban related cases. That makes things extra confusing, Im sure, for those physicians and women about what they do. And it makes it seem even more like what youre offering might be cold comfort. And I understand its all you can offer, potentially, but I wonder if you struggle with that a little bit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am 100 percent struggling with it, yes. As a public servant who upholds Missouris laws by an oath of office, I am simply the steward of this office for nowentrusted by the voters to do it. I want to do the job as best I know how to do itand justly. So, with all those things in mind, I have a very difficult job ahead in trying to figure out how to provide some comfort to the necessary work that health care providers give without being harmful to them in that process. Its going to be difficult for all of us. Advertisement Advertisement Youve shared a bunch of concerns about Missouris law, and one of them is that it could be used to prosecute a woman who sought an abortion. Why you think that? The law says, A woman shall not be prosecuted for a conspiracy to violate the provisions of this subsection, which means there are few other things maybe she could be prosecuted for. Advertisement Absolutely. What kinds of things? Well, for instance, she could be viewed as the principal in that situation and prosecuted for some grade of homicide. Oof! Oof is right. Now, lets go a few steps further, because thats where Missouris law is. Missouris law is very specific that we have no exceptionnonefor a rape victim or incest victim. Now, that one angers me a great deal. You called it mean. I did call it mean. Its mean-spirited. I know you prosecuted rape and incest cases before you led your office. And I imagine those cases are whats in the background when you think about this. Theyre in the background for every single prosecutor in America. Im not different. Every jurisdiction in America will have rape victims that walk through their office doors that have been forcibly impregnated, or the potential for that to occur is great. Incest victimsand I dont mean to be overly blunt, but this is where we are noware so repeatedly attacked, theyre so repeatedly forced to have intercourse without their consent, that theres a greater risk of pregnancy for them. They will show up as pregnant. Its just one of the consequences of that horrendous crime. That horrendous crime occurs in every part of America, so prosecutors are going to see her. Missouri decided we want to throw one more thing at her. Tell me a better word than mean for that. Can you can you come up with a better one? I cant. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Democrats in your state legislature actually asked for a special session to clarify the language of Missouris abortion law, because some have suggested early on that it was even broad enough that it could ban contraception, which I think was clarified that that was not the case. Well, look, the governor also put out an edict immediately after Missouris law became effective, saying there was a ban on the prosecution of women. Thats not true. Why do you say that? Because its not true. He may wish that right now when he realizes what they just passed and what are the consequences, but thats not true. And you can read the law like I can read the law. You dont have to be a legal scholar to know thats not what Missouri Law says. So, women may be prosecuted under this this statute, and it may be a rape victim, and it may be a medical care provider, and it may be a woman who really wanted that child to be born, but something happened and she cannot successfully have that child without risking her own life. Advertisement I dont know what all this means. But I do know that Missouris law is so broad that I can say I wont prosecutor a woman for conspiracy. I can say that because Missouri law purely says that. Its very plain and clear. I will not prosecute a woman for conspiracy because the law in Missouri does not permit it. Except the problem is Missouri law permits a whole lot of other types of prosecutions. Advertisement Advertisement It was interesting to me because your governor declined to have a special session to clarify the language of Missouris law here. And the reasoning that his spokesperson gave was essentially because this is complicated and its going to take time to figure out. It was interesting to me because it seems like in the absence of clarification, figuring it out will fall entirely to people like you. Advertisement Advertisement Thats right. Now, this is where discretion does matter, perhaps. I think when prosecutors read that law, its going to look pretty simple. Its going to be one of the easier cases, perhaps, for a prosecutor to bring. My concern is to try and get prosecutors to slow down and look at the consequences of what could happen by filing those cases. We put a lot of thought into death penalty cases before we bring those. Id like to think that will happen here. But that means there will be prosecutors who are going to carry these. I will just guarantee it. Its going to happen. And I hope that they have made those decisions very thoughtfully. I hope that theyll look at the ramifications of filing such a case. And I hope that theyll look at mitigation that might be right in front of them rather than just running to file the charge. Advertisement Advertisement Last week, there was a story out of Ohio that got a ton of attention about a 10-year-old who traveled out of state to get an abortion after being raped by a 27-year-old. What I thought when I saw that was how much power government prosecutors have right now. Because, first of all, you had Ohios attorney general initially saying, I dont think this happened, even though it clearly did happen. Then you had the Indiana attorney general saying he was going to investigate the doctor who had performed the abortion. And it just seemed like there was so much legal involvement. And it was clear to me that government attorneys can really raise or lower the heat around abortion and how we talk about it. And I wonder if you saw that case and the discussion of it as instructive in some way for someone like you. Advertisement Advertisement I 100 percent did. Because I thought, uh-oh, here it is. A 10-year-old? Boy, what a tender age 10 is. But you know what? So is 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. So is an adult woman who might have mental capacity issues so shes not able to consent. All of those cases, by the way, Ive had all of them. Advertisement Advertisement Im just trying to highlight the number of different circumstances that I know can come up into play because I personally had them happen as a prosecutor here in Kansas City, Missouri. So if thats been my personal experience, its got to be the experience of prosecutors all around the United States, because were not different. We dont have a higher degree of sex assault probably than anybody else. And by the way, its pretty high in almost every jurisdiction in America. Its something thats real. It happens on a regular basis. Advertisement I will not be surprised to see that these cases do become politically charged, depending on whos running for office, what they want to run for, do they want to create some kind of name for themselves? Im worried about that. And if you view your public office as a launchpad to a new position, that should worry all of us: What a prosecutor in that situation might do, what an attorney general who may want to go on to higher office might do to put themselves in a position where perhaps they feel like they can do greater fundraising with a very public story. Advertisement Youre a politician. Some would say youre taking a stand too. Advertisement You bet I am. But I am speaking from somebody who is looking at black letter law and how it applies to cases that I already see, how it applies to the rape victim that walks through my door and how Im supposed to serve her. So the way Im viewing it is as somebody that now has a new law and I have to figure out how to use it. Advertisement You work closely with law enforcement. Thats your whole job. Youve alluded to having conversations with them, explaining how youre going to approach these kinds of cases. Can you take me inside those conversations? I told them, You may view me as having a political view here. And I said not to presume anything. If you get one of these cases, you are to bring it to me. That is my job. Its my role. And one of the reasons I wanted to be very clear about that is in my state, my attorney general also has concurrent jurisdiction. Advertisement Over your jurisdiction? Yes, over this issue. He is the seated attorney general, and he is running for the United States Senate. I dont forget for a moment that that is the man that may come into my jurisdiction if Im not doing my job. And Im not going to have that. This is my jurisdiction. And I will prosecute or not the cases that occur within my jurisdiction. So for me, its another reason that I need to be careful with what language I use and be careful about how I go about handling my job as a prosecutor. Advertisement Advertisement Do you fear that by speaking out and saying very plainly how you feel about Missouris abortion ban that youre going to draw the scrutiny of your attorney general, that youre essentially going to bring fire on yourself? I dont know how to avoid it. I dont seek it. I dont want it. But Im not a lawmaker. I didnt make this law, and now Im stuck with it. And Im also stuck with the political makeup of my state Its a difficult space to be in. Its hard not to see you as in an impossible bind. Im in an impossible bind, but this is my jurisdiction. I was elected here. And I know my community. I know neighborhood leaders. That doesnt mean everybody agrees on abortion, not by a long shot. But they know me. They know the type of prosecutor that I am. And Im going to do my job here rather than let somebody else come in my jurisdiction and do it for me. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. Last month, the Supreme Court relied on its view of the Constitutions original meaning in its landmark decisions involving abortion rights, gun rights, and religious freedom. None of these decisions, however, was actually consistent with originalism. They each failed to recognize a critical element of how the founders understood the Constitution: the founders believed courts should defer to precedent. The courts originalists have mistakenly embraced the view that, when the courts precedents are inconsistent with the original meaning of the text, an originalist judge should overturn the precedent. Not only does this flawed originalism underlie the most critical decisions from last term, this approach places at risk other decisions that the courts originalists may deem not to be supported by the constitutional text as it was originally understood. Those include the courts decisions in Griswold, recognizing a right to use contraception, in Loving, recognizing a right to interracial marriage, in Lawrence, recognizing the right to engage in same-sex relationships, in Obergefell, recognizing the right to same-sex marriage and in Grutter, recognizing the constitutionality of the use of race as a factor in higher education admissions decisions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, last terms cases involving abortion rights and religious freedom, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Lemon v. Kurtzman, decisions that had stood for decades. In NYSRPA v. Bruen, its case involving gun rights, it relied on District of Columbia v. Heller, an originalist 2008 Supreme Court decision that effectively overturned U.S. v. Miller, a decision issued almost 70 years before. One can debate whether these decisions in fact capture the original meaning of the words in the Constitution. But, just as important, the majority failed to recognize a critical part of recapturing original meaning: the founders believed in stare decisis, the principle that courts should stand by their previous decisions. Advertisement In Federalist 78, the founding generations central text about the judicial role, Alexander Hamilton stressed that following precedent was crucial to judicial legitimacy. He observed, To avoid an arbitrary discretion in the courts, it is indispensable that they should be bound down by strict rules and precedents which serve to define and point out their duty in every particular case that comes before them. James Madison had the same view. In one of the great constitutional debates of the founding era, Madison contended that Congress did not have the power to charter the Bank of the United States. But, after the Supreme Court had ruled that the bank was constitutional, Madison said that the court had decided the matter and, despite his personal views, the bank was constitutional. He wrote that precedents, when formed on due discussion and consideration and deliberately sanctioned by reviews and repetitions [are] of binding influence, or rather, of authoritative influence in settling the meaning of the law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Madison thought that this approach was necessary because people relied on court decisions and because they were entitled to believe that judicial decisions did not just reflect personal views. It is a reasonable and established axiom, he wrote, that the good of society requires that the rules of conduct of its members should be certain and known, which would not be the case if any judge disregarding the decisions of his predecessors, should vary the rule of law according to his individual interpretation of it. Advertisement Advertisement Madison (unlike Hamilton) suggested that there might be cases in which courts might overturn precedent but they form exceptions which will speak for themselves and must justify themselves. But as a matter of practiceand the courts originalists say we should give weight to practicethe early Supreme Court never overruled its constitutional decisions. Advertisement Advertisement During John Marshalls 34-year tenure as chief justice, the Supreme Court did not overrule any of its constitutional decisions. That restraint from overturning constitutional decisions did not happen because the justices believed that prior decisions had always been right. It is because they believed they had an obligation to follow precedent. For example, in the case of Ogden v. Saunders, Justice Bushrod Washington (the childless George Washingtons nephew and heir), wrote that his initial view of a constitutional matter was incorrect, since it stands condemned by the decision of a majority of this Court, solemnly pronounced. Advertisement Advertisement The courts approach to constitutional precedent has changed over time. In his concurrence in Dobbs, Justice Brett Kavanaugh notes that since 1921 every member of the court has voted to overturn precedent. Even though it has come to be accepted, however, that approach is not consistent with the original understanding of the courts role and the need the founders saw to respect precedent. Advertisement Certainly some precedents of the court should be overturned. In Brown v. Board of Education, a unanimous court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, which had held that segregation was constitutional, and no one would challenge that decision. But the decision to overturn precedent cannot be based on a jurisprudence of original meaning. Founders like Hamilton, as well as the Marshall Court, believed that precedent had to be followed. Even Madison, generally regarded as the father of the Constitution by originalists, believed that Supreme Court precedent should be followed over his views of what the Constitution originally meant. If originalism is to have any credible claim to principled judicial decision-making, originalist judges have to apply an originalist methodology that reflects how the founders understood the Constitution. Originalist judges must follow precedent. Which means that, as the court potentially reconsiders precedent like Griswold, Loving, Lawrence, Obergefell, and Grutter it should remember that, for a true originalist, settled law is settled law. On Tuesday, Steve Bannons trial for contempt of Congress got underway with a jury seated and opening arguments heard. It might have been expected that the trialwhich could result in a year in prison for one of the most deplorable figures of the Trump White House yearswould be garnering more attention than it has. Bannon was the face of the white nationalist movement in the Trump White House. Shouldnt him going on trial be a bigger deal? Advertisement The truth is: Hes not on trial for that. This is an open-and-shut case, in which Bannon is accused of violating law 2 U.S.C. 192, the one that makes it a crime to willfully default on a Congressional subpoena by failing to appear before Congress. It is punishable by a fine and a sentence of between one month and 12 months in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Congress subpoenaed Bannon. The Jan. 6 House committee wanted him to testify about his knowledge of the events of Jan. 6. Bannon didnt show up. Case, pretty much closed. The law here is absolutely plain there couldnt be anything plainer, former prosecutor Frank Bowman told me last October when Bannon was first being investigated by the Department of Justice for violating the requirement to at least show up for subpoenaed testimony. Advertisement Advertisement And as former Deputy Attorney General Donald Ayer told me at the time, if you get subpoenaed, you dont get to just not show up because you dont want to show up. Thats exactly what Bannon tried to do. This is such a straightforward case, in fact, that it was reported prior to the trial that the prosecution may put on less than a full days worth of testimony before closing its case. But what about Bannons possible defenses for refusing to show up to testify? Wasnt he responding to an executive privilege claim by the former president in making his decision? That was his claim, at least, but it was always on shaky ground because the current president, Joe Biden, has renounced any executive privilege claims over the requested testimony and materials from Bannon and others, and the Supreme Court has sided with Bidens Department of Justice in other similar cases. And at this trial, the executive privilege defense has already been disallowed by the Judge Carl J. Nichols, a Trump appointee, because Bannons defense team failed to produce preliminary evidence that Trump had actually ever asked Bannon not to testify, or even that Trump had sought to invoke executive privilege over Bannons testimony. Advertisement Indeed, Bannons possible avenues of defense have been so narrowed by the judge that the conservative National Review is calling the case against Bannon airtight and saying Bannon has no real defense against the misdemeanor contempt-of-Congress charges. Bannons remaining defense basically amounts to arguing that he didnt understand that the deadline to meet the requirements of the subpoena was the actual deadline. Stuff of Perry Mason mysteries this is not! Advertisement Advertisement Further, Bannon cant plea bargain his way out of this mess. A 2 U.S.C. 192 prosecution runs on a completely separate track from negotiations over Congressional testimony, so even if he were to comply with the subpoena nowas he has feigned at doing in recent weeksthat would not change the case against him in anyway and it would do nothing to stop the trial that is already underway. So, this trial will not result in Bannon spilling his Trump secrets in testimony in exchange for some sweetheart deal to get himself off the hook. Advertisement Advertisement Its worth noting that if Bannon had gone on trial for fraud for his work on the alleged We Build the Wall fundraising schemeremember that?the case would have likely been more interesting, but Bannon was pardoned by Trump in the waning days if his administration. All of this is to say: The only interesting question here is whether the jury reaches the obvious verdict of guiltyand if Bannon will face a maximum punishment of one year in prison, or something closer to the minimum of one month. Until we get to that phase of the trial, you can feel pretty good about ignoring it. The European Commission has taken Slovakia to the EU court. The European Commission has referred Slovakia to the EU court over failure to provide data link services to aircraft operators. (Source: TASR) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The Court of Justice of the European Union will deal with a case involving Slovakia, in addition to Greece and Malta, following the Commissions court referral. The Commission said July 15 the three countries failed to meet the deadline for the provision and operation of data link services for all operators of aircraft flying within their airspace, which are capable of data link communications. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Services that increase air traffic security Data link systems are used to exchange information between aircraft and air traffic controllers. They are complementary to the traditional voice communications used between the cockpit and air traffic control centres. The Commission argues that deploying this technology in Europe is essential to improving the efficiency of communications between pilots and controllers, thereby increasing air traffic control capacity and security. Two years of ignorance A lack of equipment in some control centres is effectively preventing aircraft operators, which were also required to equip themselves with the technology, from using data link services, the Commission pointed out. The Commission opened infringement proceedings against the three countries in May 2020 with a letter of formal notice, followed by another letter in February 2021, and sent justified opinions in July 2021. However, Slovakia and two other member states continue to breach the regulation on data link services for the single European sky. The European Commission, for example, referred Slovakia to the Court of Justice also last year, because its national rules infringed EU law on package travel rights. In a more recent case, the EU court ruled last month Slovakia failed to adhere to EU directives with regards to the protection of the capercailllie. Reasoned opinions sent to Slovakia In July 2022, the Commission has also taken further steps against Slovakia, and other countries, in the infringement procedures because the country is failing to implement the directives on the protection of whistleblowers and road infrastructure safety management. The latter requires Slovakia to create and implement procedures for road safety impact assessments, road safety audits, and road safety inspections. Slovakia has two months to notify Brussels on the steps taken in both cases. Melody Thornton is to take up the lead role in the upcoming tour of The Bodyguard. The former Pussycat Doll will tour the UK and Ireland with the production which opens at Glasgow Kings Theatre on Saturday 28 January 2023. Advertisements Since rising to fame in The Pussycat Dolls, Grammy-nominated Melody Thornton recently released her debut solo EP and performed in The Bodyguard when it toured China for six months. Full casting for the tour is to be announced. The Bodyguard musical 2023 tour tickets, dates and venues Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they dont expect is to fall in love. A romantic thriller, The Bodyguard features a host of irresistible classics including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and one of the biggest hit songs of all time I Will Always Love You. Based on the movie of the same name, The Bodyguard is directed by Thea Sharrock with book by Oscar winning Alex Dinelaris. The show had its world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in Londons West End in 2012 where it was nominated for four Olivier Awards. Harness racing fans will have to wait a tad bit longer for the grand opening of the new track that is being built in Manitoba. According to a recent letter sent out by Garth Rogerson, CEO of Red River Exhibition Association, there have been unforeseen issues that have pushed the opening of The Loop now to August 27. The original opening was scheduled for June 18 so the races could coincide with the Red River Ex Summer Fair. However, due to a higher-than-expected amount of rain and construction delays, the date was moved back to July 23. Now again, a few more weeks delay is pushing the opening to the end of August. The hope is to have live racing during the Red River Exs Fall Fair, which will take place September 1-5. Rogerson emphasizes that the nonstop rain and unpredictable Manitoban weather is the main issue with the delay. It seems to rain heavy once or twice a week including a big storm last night," Rogerson told Trot Insider. "We have standing water everywhere. The issue is being able to drive a semi onto the surface to drop the final surface material. The base seems hard, but the trucks just sink in because the water table is so high. "We are pumping an adjacent retention pond trying to bleed some of the water off and as fast as we pump more water pours in. We need a period of hot, dry weather so we can get this project done. I have equipment booked to come in the week of July 25th to finish the surface, so we need dry weather from now until we are complete. Miami Fair will continue to host racing until the completion of The Loop. The small fair track in Southern Manitoba was supposed to only host two weekends but will now host racing on the following dates: July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13 and August 20. Simulcast wagering will be unavailable for Miami Fair but, with the increase in racing dates, a live stream is in the works to be made available for fans to watch if they cannot make it out to the track. Post time will be at 2 p.m. Central time. The tentative plan is for racing to then continue at The Loop for the following dates: August 27, September 4, September 5, September 10, September 17, September 24, October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29. Post time is scheduled to be at 2 p.m. local Central time in August and September but will change to 1 p.m. Central in October. Trevor Williams, President of Manitoba Standardbred Racing Industry, is still confident that racing will happen in Winnipeg this year. Garth indicated he would really like to get some race dates in this summer and came up with a date of August 27th," said Williams. "Together with Miami, weve worked out a schedule that would see us racing in Miami until the 20th of August and then the Loop until late October. I agree with Garth, it is important to get some dates in this year, even if they are later than anticipated. This year has been extremely difficult with all of the challenges we have faced but I am confident that Garth and the team are hard at work for this new opening. (A Trot Insider exclusive by Trey Colbeck) Canadian-owned Bulldog Hanover solidified his hold on No. 1 in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll thanks to his record-setting 1:45.4 mile to win the William R. Haughton Memorial at The Meadowlands this past Saturday. The four-year-old male pacer received all but one first-place vote and was one point shy of a perfect 350 points. Joviality S, who won a division of the Delvin Miller Memorial, and Dorothy Haughton Memorial champ Test Of Faith remained second and third, respectively. Hambletonian Maturity winner Bella Bellini moved up a spot to fourth and Meadowlands Pace winner Beach Glass vaulted from eighth to fifth. Jimmy Freight, who was idle, slipped from fourth to sixth. He was followed by the idle Pebble Beach, Stanley Dancer Memorial division winner Rebuff, Mistletoe Shalee third-place finisher Treacherous Dragon, and Miller Memorial division winner Fashion Schooner. Rebuff and Fashion Schooner were newcomers to the Top 10. Ecurie D DK and Alrajah One IT, who were both idle, dropped out. The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll does not determine U.S. Horse of the Year. The members of the U.S. Harness Writers Association vote on all Dan Patch Award division winners plus Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year. Rankings based on the votes of harness racing media representatives on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll: Week 7 July 19, 2022 Rank Name (First Votes) A/S/G Record Earnings (USD) Points Pvs 1 Bulldog Hanover (34) 4hp 8-7-0-0 $504,431 349 1 2 Joviality S 3ft 6-6-0-0 $359,477 293 2 3 Test Of Faith (1) 4mp 9-5-3-0 $345,587 281 3 4 Bella Bellini 4mt 9-5-2-2 $433,902 230 5 5 Beach Glass 3cp 5-3-2-0 $518,750 198 8 6 Jimmy Freight 7hp 18-11-1-3 $283,337 138 4 7 Pebble Beach 3cp 4-3-1-0 $441,900 130 6 8 Rebuff 3ct 2-2-0-0 $79,575 102 9 Treacherous Dragon 3fp 7-6-0-1 $278,281 45 7 10 Fashion Schooner 3ft 6-4-1-1 $206,062 33 ALSO: Rockyroad Hanover, When Dovescry 26; Alrajah One IT 22; Ecurie D DK 10; Funatthebeach N 9; Racine Bell 8; Linedrive Hanover 6; Atlanta 5; Allywag Hanover, Lovedbythemasses, Vivians Dream 3; Pleaseletmeknow 2; Little Rocket Man, Max Contract, Venerable 1. (USTA) It was a night to be a favourite in the opening leg of Ohio Sires Stakes action for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters. John Dutton, Rumble Strips and Black Magic were winners in the three divisions at MGM Northfield Park Monday night. In the first of the three $40,000 divisions, John Dutton with Chris Page sat fourth through the first half mile before making his move down the backstretch. John Dutton grabbed the lead entering the final turn and pulled away to win by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:58.2. The 1-5 favourite defeated Burtons Hill and A Real Legend. Ron Burke trains the son of What The Hill for owners Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Johnny Yoder and RAS Racing. In the second division, Rumble Strips, the 9-5 favourite, rumbled to an easy five-length victory in 1:57.2. Kayne Kaufman raced the son of Long Tom to the lead at the quarter pole in :29.1 and fought off a challenge down the back stretch before pulling away from No More Sweets and What A Mission. Rumble Strips, who has a win and a third-place finish in two starts this year for trainer Mike Polhamus, is owned by Constance Polhamus and Mary Beth Walters. In the final division, Black Magic won for the fourth time in four starts with an easy victory in 1:57.1 over Jet Hill and The Buckeye Hill. Chris Lems took the 1-2 favourite to the lead at the quarter pole and cruised to the victory for trainer Steve Cross. Black Magic is owned by Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone and Joseph Lozito and has earned $102,750 this year. Ohio Sires Stakes action resumes Saturday, July 23 at Eldorado Scioto Downs with the three-year-old colt pacers competing in the third leg. First race post time is 3:15 p.m. MGM Northfield Park has announced the addition of a $15,000 Pick-5 total pool guarantee for Wednesday, July 20. Beginning in race six, the $15,000 Pick-5 guaranteed total pool includes a carryover of $3,368. This wager is being offered as part of the Strategic Wagering Program through the United States Trotting Association. The evenings 50-cent (non-jackpot) Pick 6 begins in the eighth race with a $2,130 carryover. Wednesdays post time is 6 p.m. (OHHA and Northfield Park) A Culpeper-based bridge equipment government contractor has paid $137,500 to resolve federal civil allegations that it paid a third party to falsify inspection certificates for vehicles used to inspect bridges, including one the government attempted to tie to a workplace fatality in Connecticut. McClain & Co., Inc., headquartered on Germanna Highway in Stevensburg since 1998, reached the settlement involving misdated inspection certificates submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. attorney in Connecticut, and Christopher Scharf, special agent-in-charge in the Office of Inspector General Northeastern Region. McClain & Co. President Daniel McClain told the Culpeper Star-Exponent on Tuesday that the government press release was unfair and that most of its claims were not determined against the company in proceedings. There was never an admission of fault or liability by McClain & Co. in the workplace fatality, he said in a statement. We settled with the government because their investigation has been going on for years, they were bleeding us dry and we wanted to avoid the expense of future litigation, McClain said. The company president said the case investigated matters from 2015 and before. The written settlement agreement expressly states McClain & Co. denies the governments contentions, the company president said. What the government news release should have stated, McClain said, is that the company has and always had a robust safety program and a fine safety record. Apart from the one tragic fatality, he said, no employee or other user of McClain & Co. equipment has been seriously injured while using their equipment. The company president said McClains investigation with a crash reconstruction expert found the fatal accident in question was most likely caused by operator error. No government agency has proven otherwise, McClain said. On Jan. 27, 2020, McClain & Co. pleaded guilty to providing three misdated under-bridge vehicle inspection reports to a government agency, a misdemeanor, according to the company statement. Based in Culpeper, the company is a government contractor in good standing with the Federal Highway Administration, McClain said. The company also has regional offices in Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey and South Carolina through which it rents and leases bridge access equipment to engineering companies and government agencies for use on bridge inspection and bridge maintenance projects, according to the U.S. attorney. McClain provided under-bridge inspection vehicles to various state departments of transportation and bridge inspection engineering firms under federal aid contracts funded in part by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, including multiple contracts with the Connecticut DOT, the government said. The government contends that, between January 2012 and January 2015, McClain paid Virginia-based Martin Enterprize Inc. to create 123 certificates of inspection falsely certifying MEI had inspected the under-bridge vehicles in McClains fleet. McClain knew the vehicles had not been inspected by a neutral third party, the government said. After OSHA opened a workplace fatality investigation into the death of one of McClains employees who had been operating one of the vehicles in Connecticut, McClain sent OSHA false certificates of inspection for the UBI vehicle that had been involved in the workplace fatality, the government stated. As part of its settlement agreement with the government, McClain paid $137,500. This settlement resolves allegations that a government contractor not only took shortcuts that put its own employees at risk, but it attempted to thwart a proper federal investigation of a workplace fatality involving its equipment, Avery said. This is unacceptable. Businesses and individuals who receive federal funds and then engage in such misconduct face both criminal and civil penalties. Since July 2019, McClain has been under an Interim Administrative Settlement and Compliance Agreement with the Federal Highway Administration, according to the government. The settlement announced today demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues to protect the integrity of Federal-aid programs, Scharf said. Having a safe workplace is equally as important as shielding taxpayer funds from fraud, waste and abuse as we go about the business of building and maintaining the Nations infrastructure. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportations Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber Auditor Susan N. Spiegel handled the case. The Scotts Bluff County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution for an opioid recovery fund during its regular meeting on Monday, July 18. Treasurer Heather Hauschild presented the resolution to the board. Due to a litigation settlement against prescription opioid distributers, funds have been distributed throughout the nation. In Nebraska, funds are distributed by the state to counties. Commissioner Charlie Knapper said almost $900,000 has been approved for the Panhandle through 2031. This came up months and months ago; I guess funds are just going to start coming, he said. Commissioner Mark Reichert asked who decided how the money would be allocated. Knapper said the counties had been given the choice to either bring it straight to them or to Nebraskas Behavioral Health Authoritys Region 1 organization. Scotts Bluff County had opted for the former, he said. Knapper said the money could be used for a variety of public health features. Other than public health and addiction support theres not a whole lot (of guidelines), he said. This resolution would set up a fund separate from the countys general fund, and the commissioners unanimously approved it. After they took action on the recovery fund, the board received a few updates. Beth Farrell, legal counsel for the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO), provided a short update on NACO events to the board. She advised them of future state and national conferences and the construction of a new administrative building in Ogallala. Were looking forward to seeing what we can do in the western part of the state, she told the board. She also informed them about NACOs strategic plan. This would look at what counties could be like in the future and make action plans focusing on workforce and economic development, revenue and taxation, and other issues. She then told them, if they were interested, that she could provide them with templates to reach out to the public and explain more about how inheritance taxes are used. The Legislature has had recent discussions about eliminating or phasing out the tax. Ferrell said it pays for services which would otherwise have to be paid for by property taxes. The commissioners also heard a report regarding a recent marketing survey conducted by Rural Fellows interns working for the countys Department of Tourism. Tourism Director Brenda Leisy presented the results to the commissioners, aided by Rural Fellows Ashtyn Humphreys and Ben Benimana. What weve always thought about Scotts Bluff County remains the same, Leisy said, saying that the survey showed an average age of 60 for tourists to the community. Humphreys and Benimana interviewed 369 tourists and found that they commonly used print materials like maps. They also usually visited the area as a sightseeing stop between destinations. Leisy praised the work the Rural Fellows have done. Weve all become very close, and theyve become another part of the team, she said. Itll be hard to see them go. Afterward, the commissioners entered an executive session for the prevention of needless injury to an individual, according to the agenda. U.S. President Joe Biden's mid-July visit to the Middle East took place within the context of Russia-Ukraine conflict. Though ambitious, the visit cannot achieve meaningful, sustainable results as the U.S. has neither the necessary capability nor the willingness to get involved substantially in regional affairs. The last 15 years have seen a gradual retrenchment of the U.S. from the Middle East as a part of its adjustment of global strategy. Former U.S. President Barack Obama initiated the strategy, and was followed by his successor Donald Trump throughout his term and then by Joe Biden in the first part of his. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict added new variables to global politics and U.S. Middle East policy as well. As a result of the Middle East gaining new weight in international geopolitics, particularly as a substitute for Russian energy, a policy featuring re-engagement with the Middle East was reasonably initiated and put on the table of the White House's Oval Office. It should be expected that the U.S. will boast the successes of the visit, as reported by the media. And it could also boast the successful visit of Biden to Palestine's West Bank. However, after the media's coverage of the visit wanes, the region will return to its regular and original course, with the U.S. being largely absent on major regional issues, including Palestine and the Iran nuclear issue. Biden's promises and declarations will therefore remain as diplomatic rhetoric rather than actions, and the region will soon again feel disappointed by the U.S. The Biden administration may now truly realize the new weight of the Middle East, just as rapidly rising oil prices at home stand to further erode the constituency of the Democrats in the coming mid-term elections. Meanwhile, the Middle East continues to narrow the energy supply gap in global markets. But no evidence indicates that the U.S. has sufficient resources to invest in the region. The U.S. is currently busy with European affairs and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with the U.S. having to send military assistance to Ukraine incessantly to strengthen their resistance, as well as committed to focusing on the Asia-Pacific region to contain China. It should be quite easy to deliver promises and statements, but it should not be that easy to deliver substantial resources to deal with problems on all three fronts of Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific at the same time. And without substantial investments, any frameworks and mechanisms will likely turn into skeletons without muscles. Even within the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Biden has insisted that the strategic focus of the U.S. would still be in the Asia-Pacific. Then where does the Middle East fit in this equation? Biden's mind, to put it another way, is still affixed to Asia-Pacific issues, not anywhere else. The visit might be a necessity, but his input may not necessarily be on his mind. Therefore, Middle Eastern countries, if reasonable enough, would stay on their own course of constructing a regional order, while abandoning the illusion that the U.S. is returning. Over the past couple of years, partly due to their disillusionment about America's presence, regional actors have interacted with each other robustly. This detente took place almost between all major conflicts in the region except between Iran and Israel. Iran and Saudi Arabia even conducted five rounds of negotiations in Iraq last year for the purpose of normalizing relations. The detente is expected to result in peaceful relations among regional actors, though it may not necessarily end in a well-shaped regional order. As a region that has incubated civilizations, the elites and decision-makers in the region will certainly have the wisdom to continue their efforts to construct a regional security framework and, finally, a regional order of their own. Either way, the people of the region should decide their place in regional affairs rather than looking to irresponsible external actors. Jin Liangxiang is Senior Research Fellow with the Center for West Asian and African Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/jinliangxiang.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. The Scottsbluff city council approved an agreement with Nebraska Municipal Power Pool (NMPP) to conduct a water and wastewater financial plan, cost of service and rate design study Monday, July 18. Interim city manager Kevin Spencer shared information with the board about the proposed study. With the new water meter system we cant read those meters very quickly and so wed really like to move to a monthly billing cycle and thats one of the big reasons for this rate study, Spencer said. According to the agenda statement, the new water meter reading infrastructure allows the city to obtain readings for billing purposes with an hour. The study will also help the city analyze data and projects forward usage to help the city maintain the structure as well as support the rates charged to patrons. The new infrastructure would allow the city to transition from a bimonthly billing process to a monthly billing process. However, the first step in the process is to conduct the study so a new monthly rate structure is established that meets the citys financial needs. The estimated project cost is under $30,000, with two of the three written quotes coming in over that figure. Nebraska Municipal Power Pool Energys quote was $15,790 and was deemed the most cost-effective proposal. Within NMPP Energys proposal, they quote the city on three service options: the water and wastewater cost of service study, which includes a financial plan, two rate designs and ordinances and two presentations for $15,790; water cost of service study only or the wastewater cost of service study only, both costing $9,310. The proposal also outlines the project schedule with a goal for the city to have rates designed and implemented 70 days after all requested data has been collected. The study will remain ongoing after that, Spencer said. Within the packet information is a list of cities that were clients of NMPP. Mayor Jeanne McKerrigan asked if those communities transitioned to a monthly billing cycle following the study, but that information was unknown. However, council member Angela Scanlan voiced support for a monthly bill cycle. It seems like it would potentially be easier for the consumer to have a monthly bill rather than bimonthly in terms of budgeting, Scanlan said. The study will be a shared expense between the water and wastewater budgets at $7,895 each. This is another one of those studies that is a good idea every now and again, Spencer said. I think everybody works hard and we have good processes in place. I think were funding those infrastructures adequately, but this will also give us support our rates too to make sure were charging appropriately. The competitive play production team at Scottsbluff High School is hosting a summer workshop to help interested high school students develop their theater skills. The workshop will also have a special guest, playwright Billy Boone. Boone is a native of West Texas who earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in theater and his Master of Education in secondary education from Wayland Baptist University. He taught high school theater for five years before he became an elementary principals. He has written numerous plays, which include: The Cry of the Peacock, Sillyheart, The Darkness Inside, Fools and Kings. Teacher Amanda Wilson said Boone reached out to the school after learning they paid royalties to perform one of his plays. He happened to be planning his vacation and noticed that we paid the royalties for his play for this year, she said. He is excited to meet us and provide insight as we begin to develop our fall play. We are very excited to work with the playwright. Boone will be at SHS on July 25 at 3:30 p.m. and will announce and discuss the meaning behind the play the Bearcats will present as the fall one act. Wilson said she hopes Boone teaches everyone about his vision and purpose of the play while also offering inspiration for students to work on their play writing skills. Several guest artists will also be in attendance to work with the attendees. Students will complete several interactive lessons that include set design, makeup, costume design, acting, character development, staging (falls, fighting), improvisation and voice. The public and any students interested in play production are welcome to attend the authors event. The workshop is scheduled for July 25-26. The camp is open to incoming students in grades ninth through 12th, and will take place at the Scottsbluff High School auditorium. The workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is a $25 charge and sign-ups are open until July 24. The $25 covers the cost of lunch, materials and guest instructor fees. Students are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. For more information, contact Amanda Wilson at awilson@sbps.net or Beth Muhr at bmurh@sbps.net. Students can register for the camp at https://tinyurl.com/SHSplay. As Davis Regional Medical Center enters its second century, it will transition operations to be a specialty hospital providing inpatient behavioral health services. The need for behavioral health services in North Carolina and across the country is at an all-time high, and Davis will support access for the people who need this specialized care. Acute inpatient, emergency room, cardiac catheterization, obstetrics, and surgical services will be maintained at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. The hospitals share a commitment to serve Iredell County and the greater surrounding area, said Clyde Wood, CEO of Lake Norman Regional Medical Center and Davis Regional Medical Center. This realignment builds on the services where each hospital excels. We have an outstanding medical staff and compassionate employees across the two facilities and we appreciate their commitment to deliver quality care for patients each day. Wood stressed that work will be done to align and reconfigure resources between Lake Norman and Davis to retain employees and deliver care to the community. Job fairs will be held to meet with employees and share opportunities. Work to make the realignment will begin immediately and will take some time as the hospital works with the state and other licensing agencies. The goal is to complete the transition later this year. For the last few months, Matt Saunders has been working to set up one of the biggest events of the year for motocross bike manufacturers and dealers, bringing hundreds of people from all over North America to Statesville. The hardest part? Not being able to tell anyone. Over the last four months, Saunders, the general manager of Moto40 Motocross Park in Statesville, has had to organize the REV 2022 Dealer Summit without telling anybody what was going on at the facility he manages. It was very hard to not tell, Saunders said with a laugh. I was getting all kinds of phone calls asking about the event and I would have to just say that I wasnt allowed to tell them. The event that he planned, however, was well worth the secrecy. For several hours Monday, motocross riders, including some of the best riders in the world, buzzed around Saunders carefully curated tracks to test out bikes that wont hit the market for a few more months. The event, which was put on by KTM, a motorbike manufacturer in Austria, to give dealers a firsthand chance to test out bikes from the 2023 model year. KTM, along with their subsidiaries Husqvarna and Gasgas, brought their newest offerings to Statesville to be tested. In total, over $3 million of unreleased motocross bikes were at Moto40. Its a dream to have all these people here, Saunders said. Everyone thats here right now is going to know about Moto40 now. Thats pretty amazing. Its a great things for Statesville and its amazing for us. We couldnt be happier. Despite being left in the dark as to the reason that the park would be closed to the public for a few days, the City of Statesville was thrilled to have such an monumental event in their backyard. (Moto40) called me on Saturday morning and said that they would be closed for the weekend, but that I was invited to an event on Monday, Cindy Sutton of the Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau said. As someone whos focused on tourism, I was a bit worried, but they told me not to worry and I can see why. In the end, the REV Summit brought nearly 1,000 people to Statesville for the weekend in preparation for the testing sessions on Monday. This is just another piece of the patchwork that is Statesville, Mayor Costi Kutteh said. Ive talked to a few people from different parts of the country that have gotten to spend time in Statesville this weekend and theyre excited to come back. With the event going off without a hitch, Saunders is hoping that this isnt the last major event that Moto40 hosts. This has opened our eyes to a lot of other opportunities, he said. Im so excited to have KTM here and this is so amazing for Statesville and Moto40. By this time next year, county library users will be able to access more than half a million additional resources. Among those resources will be the collections of two area academic libraries. The addition comes with Smyth County Public Librarys (SCPL) decision to accept an invitation to join the Holston Associated Libraries (HAL) consortium. On the recommendation of Library Director Rose Likins, the librarys trustees OKd the move last month. HAL includes the libraries of Emory & Henry College and King University as well as the Washington County Public Library and the Tazewell County Public Library. As members, the Smyth library will be able to borrow from those libraries, share library technology, and collaborate with the other libraries staffs. SCPLs membership will take effect on July 1, 2023. In a prepared release, Likins said, The objective of joining HAL is to make available to Smyth County residents more than 500,000 additional library resources, including those of two premier regional academic libraries. Thursday evening, she told an informal gathering of the countys board of supervisors that once requested an item from another HAL library should arrive quickly as a weekly delivery service is in place. Finding the HAL items wont be hard. According to the release, the HAL libraries materials will automatically show up in catalog search results, and SCPL library cards will be accepted by consortium member libraries. Likins believes that many items that patrons now request through Inter-Library loans will be met within HAL, which will save users the postage fees they now pay to borrow materials from other libraries. There is a cost to HAL membership. Likins said the membership fee will average around $32,000 per year over five years and includes the cost of the shared technology, the delivery service, and some staff hours toward the administration of the consortium. That full cost, Likins said, is covered by the librarys annual Library of Virginia grant. In terms of its finances, Likins thanked the supervisors for the additional money they allocated for the library this year. The supervisors upped the annual budget by $32,500 to put the countys contribution to the library at $752,500. As well, Likins said the Library of Virginia increased the librarys annual grant by $23,195 to $196,014. Additionally, Likins told the News & Messenger that the Town of Chilhowie increased its library funding to $29,000. She is still waiting to learn Marion and Saltvilles final allocations. As Smyth users benefit from the collections of other HAL members, their patrons will gain access to Smyths physical holdings -- 130,885 items out of 258,068. The other items are digital, and Likins explained that the consortium doesnt share digital materials because those are priced by total number of potential users. Were super excited, Likins told the supervisors. Speaking on behalf of HAL in the release, Ruth Castillo, Emory & Henry College library director, said that HAL will be strengthened by SCPL's membership by expanding HAL's vision of providing its communities access to new ideas and information to the residents of Smyth County. By joining its neighbors in Tazewell and Washington counties, Castillo said, SCPL's membership in HAL will provide a solid footprint and better connect communities with library resources. Community Health In other news, Likins also told the supervisors that the library has received a $6,000 grant to set up a private space in the Marion branch where people can go online for telehealth appointments. She said the area will include a computer, monitor and printer. While the area is primarily intended for telehealth, Likins said, patrons can also reserve it for online meetings and similar needs. Working Together Earlier next month, Likins said, the library will host a meeting with all of the countys public school librarians to share what resources it can offer them and to brainstorm ideas for collaboration. Supervisor Mike Sturgill, who also works in the school systems administration, expressed his appreciation for the initiative, saying that more collaboration will lead to better services for the community and students. New Website Likins also introduced county leaders to the librarys new website, which she said is streamlined, mobile friendly and more user-friendly. Summer Reading The libraries summer reading programs in Chilhowie, Marion, and Saltville have been well attended with hundreds at some events, Likins reported. Those programs will be wrapping up over the next two weeks with a family friendly movie at The Lincoln Theatre in Marion on July 21 at 6 p.m. and puppet shows in Chilhowie and Saltville on July 26. To the supervisors, Likins praised her staff, saying theyve developed a million clever ideas. VANCOUVER Two Vancouver men, a 55-year-old and a 74-year-old, were identified Monday as the people found dead in a June 25 apartment fire thats under investigation as a murder-suicide. The Clark County Medical Examiners Office ruled Christopher Berg, 55, died from multiple gunshot wounds and said in a news release that he was shot by another person at his home. His death was ruled a homicide. The ruling does not make any judgments about criminal culpability. The other man is identified at Henry Oates Jr., 74. The Medical Examiners Office said his cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and ruled his death a suicide. The Vancouver Police Department previously said there are no outstanding suspects. Police were dispatched at about 12:30 a.m. on a Saturday to 2904 E. 16th St., Unit B, in the Maplewood neighborhood, after several callers reported hearing gunshots. A downstairs neighbor said she believed the shooting occurred in Unit B. The 911 dispatcher heard what she believed were additional gunshots while taking the call. The neighbor then reported smoke coming from the unit, and she said she and her boyfriend were evacuating their apartment, according to a search warrant affidavit filed last month. The Vancouver Fire Department arrived within minutes to find heavy smoke coming from the front and back of the second-floor unit, and a second alarm was requested. Crews extinguished the fire within 30 minutes, but three other families who lived in the apartment building were displaced. While extinguishing the blaze, firefighters found a man dead in the living room and another man dead in a rear bedroom, the affidavit states. Fire personnel said it appeared both men had suffered gunshot wounds to the head. A firearm was located near the body in the bedroom, according to the affidavit. A caretaker for the units primary occupant told investigators she saw him about two hours before the fire. She said the man had been subleasing a bedroom for about six months to a roommate, who potentially had mental health issues. The client recently told her his roommate had become threatening toward him and talked about killing people, the affidavit says. She said the two men had been arguing more lately and indicated that the roommate relationship had deteriorated greatly over the last few days, the affidavit reads. A new picture captured by James Webb Space Telescope has left NASA scientists fearful of its fate as the damage made by micrometeoroid strike is pretty bad. The pictures captured by NASA James Webb Space Telescope will go a long way in enriching human knowledge about the birth of the universe as well as unravel many mysteries. The James Webb Telescope may well save humanity from extinction with its findings. However, the hopes of the world in general and NASA in particular have suffered a setback as a recent picture captured by the space telescope shows big damage caused to it by a micrometeoroid strike. The picture has left scientists shocked as the damage is extensive, although initially it was thought to have caused minimal damage. The entire problem started on May 22 and 24 when a micrometeoroid struck the Webb Space Telescope, impacting one of the observatory's critical 18 hexagonal golden mirrors. NASA had shared information about the micrometeoroid strike in June and noted that the debris was more sizable than pre-launch modelling had accounted for. As for now, the scientists on the mission have shared an image that showed the severity of the blow to the James Webb Telescope in a report released July 12 describing what scientists on the mission learned about using the observatory during its first six months in space. Scientists are now assuming that the long-term effect of the micrometeoroid strike on the Webb telescope will be pretty big. Exactly how big the problem is, has not been revealed, but it may impact some of the critical missions of the James Webb Space Telescope. What are Micrometeoroids? Talking about Micrometeoroids as NASA says they are the particles smaller than a grain of sand. Every day, Earth's atmosphere is struck by millions of meteoroids and micrometeoroids. Most never reach Earth's surface because they are vaporized by the intense heat generated by the friction of passing through the atmosphere. A Boing 777X plane takes off at the Farnborough Air Show fair in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 18, 2022. Some 1200 exhibitors from around the world will show their newest developments in Future Flight, Space, Defence, Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce from July 18 until July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein Airplanes are a minor contributor to global greenhouse-gas emissions, but their share is sure to grow as more people travel in coming yearsand that has the aviation industry facing the prospect of tighter environmental regulations and higher costs. The industry has embraced a goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. Experts who track the issue are skeptical. Until the COVID-19 pandemic caused travel to slump, airlines were on a steady course of burning more fuel, year after year. Today's aircraft engines are the most efficient ever, but improvements in reducing fuel burn are agonizingly slowabout 1% a year on average. At Monday's opening of a huge aviation industry show near London, discussion about climate change replaced much of the usual buzz over big airplane orders. The weather was fitting. The Farnborough International Airshow opened as U.K. authorities issued the first extreme heat warning in England's history. Two nearby airports closed their runways, one reporting that heat caused the surface to buckle. As airlines confront climate change, the stakes could hardly be higher. Jim Harris, who leads the aerospace practice at consultant Bain & Co., says that with airlines recovering from the jolt of the pandemic, hitting net-zero by 2050 is now the industry's biggest challenge. A Boeing 747 takes off from the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, on Aug. 7, 2020. Airplanes are a minor contributor to global greenhouse-gas emissions, but their share is sure to grow as more people travel in coming years, and that has the aviation industry facing the prospect of tighter environmental regulations and higher costs. At the opening of a huge aviation industry show near London, on Monday, July 18, 2022, discussion about climate change replaced much of the usual buzz over big airplane orders. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Probst, File "There is no obvious solution, there is no one technology, there is no one set of actions that are going to get the industry there," Harris says. "The amount of change required, and the timeline, are big issues." Aviation releases only one-sixth the amount of carbon dioxide produced by cars and trucks, according to World Resources Institute, a nonprofit research group based in Washington. However, aviation is used by far fewer people per day. Jet fuel use by the four biggest U.S. airlinesAmerican, United, Delta and Southwestrose 15% in the five years leading up to 2019, the last year before air travel dropped, even as they updated their fleets with more efficient planes. Airbus and Boeing, the world's two biggest aircraft makers, both addressed sustainability during Monday's opening day at Farnborough, although they approached the issue in different ways. A visitor checks an airplane engine made by Pratt & Whitney at the Farnborough Air Show fair in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 18, 2022. Some 1191 exhibitors from around the world show their newest developments in Future Flight, Space, Defence, Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce from July 18th until July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein Europe's Airbus and seven airline groups announced a venture in West Texas to explore removing carbon dioxide from the air and injecting it deep underground, while Boeing officials said sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, will be the best toolbut not the only oneto reduce emissions. Last September, airline leaders and President Joe Biden touted an agreement to cut aircraft emissions 20% by 2030 by producing 3 billion gallons of SAF by then and replacing all conventional jet fuel by 2050. Climate experts praised the idea but said the voluntary targets are overly optimistic. Current SAF production is around 5 million gallons per year. Sustainable fuel is biofuel made from cooking oil, animal fats, municipal waste or other feedstocks. Its chief advantage is that it can be blended with conventional fuel to power jet engines. It has been used many times on test flights and even regular flights with passengers on board. Among SAF's drawbacks are the high costabout three times more than conventional jet fuel. As airlines seek to buy and use more of it, the price will rise further. Advocates are lobbying for tax breaks and other incentives to boost production. A Boing 777X plane flies past at the Farnborough Air Show fair in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 18, 2022. Some 1200 exhibitors from around the world will show their newest developments in Future Flight, Space, Defence, Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce from July 18 until July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein Policymakers see SAF as a bridge fuela way to reduce emissions until more dramatic breakthroughs, such as electric- or hydrogen-powered planes, are ready. Those technologies might not be widely available for airline-size planes for two or three decades. Several companies are designing and starting to build electric-powered planes, but most are small aircraft that take off and land vertically, like helicopters, and they are about the same sizewith room for only a few passengers. Electric-powered planes big enough to carry around 200 passengersa medium-size jet by airline standardswould require much bigger batteries for longer flights. The batteries would weigh about 40 times more than jet fuel to produce the same amount of power, making electric airliners impractical without huge leaps in battery technology. Hydrogen, on the other hand, "is a very light fuel," says Dan Rutherford, who leads the study of decarbonizing cars and planes for an environmental group, the International Council on Clean Transportation. "But you need a lot of volume to store it, and the fuel tanks themselves are heavy." Boeing personnel sit in the shade in front of a Boeing 737 at the Farnborough Air Show fair in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 18, 2022. Some 1191 exhibitors from around the world show their newest developments in future flight, space, defence, innovation, sustainability and workforce from July 18 until July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein Despite that, Rutherford remains "cautiously optimistic" about hydrogen. His group believes that by 2035, there could be hydrogen-powered planes capable of flying about 2,100 miles (3,380 kilometers). Others, however, see obstacles including the need for massive and expensive new infrastructure at airports to store hydrogen that has been chilled into liquid form. Airlines face the risk of increasingly tough emissions regulations. The U.N. aviation organization reached an agreementvoluntary until 2026, then mandatoryin which airlines can offset their emissions by investing in projects to reduce greenhouse gases in other ways. However, some major countries didn't sign it, and environmentalists say the scheme won't reduce emissions. Even some in the airline industry, such as United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, have mocked carbon offsets, which companies can get for things like paying to plant trees. People rest in a shady place during a heatwave as they attend the Farnborough Air Show fair in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 18, 2022. Some 1191 exhibitors from around the world show their newest developments in Future Flight, Space, Defence, Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce from July 18th until July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein The European Union has its own plan to slash emissions 55% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 while bringing aviation under the goals of the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change. It is trying to finalize an emissions-trading system and impose higher taxes on fossil fuels including jet fuel. The rules would apply only to flights within Europe. "The taxation policies that are already in place, particularly in Europe, are going to drive the cost of operations for airlines way up," says Harris, the Bain consultant. "Ultimately, fares rise whether it be paying more for sustainable aviation fuel or it's taxes on fossil fuels." Airlines also face the risk of flight shamingthat more consumers could decide to travel by train or electric vehicle instead of by plane if those produce lower emissions. That does not seem to be inhibiting many travelers this summer, however, as pent-up travel demand has led to full planes. Whether changes in fuel and planes can cut emissions fast enough to hit the industry 2050 targetand whether airlines act on their own or under pressure from regulatorsremains to be seen. But it won't be easy. An Airbus A350-900 is on display at the Farnborough Air Show fair in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 18, 2022. Some 1191 exhibitors from around the world show their newest developments in Future Flight, Space, Defence, Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce from July 18th until July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein A mechanic checks the engine of a Boeing 737 at the Farnborough Air Show fair in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 18, 2022. Some 1191 exhibitors from around the world show their newest developments in Future Flight, Space, Defence, Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce from July 18th until July 22, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein "We're not on a path to deliver those goals," Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian says. "We need the energy producers to invest in sustainable product for us, (which) is going to require government to come in." Rutherford, the transportation expert, notes that net zero "is a really challenging target." "If we aren't clearly on a trajectory of down emissions and massive uptake of clean fuels by 2030 and 2035, we are not going to hit net zero in 2050," he says. Explore further Slash airline emissions to meet Paris targets: report 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Flash Four candidates made it to the next ballot round in the race to be the leader of the Conservative Party and replace outgoing Boris Johnson as prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK) after the third round of voting concluded on Monday. Tom Tugendhat, House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, was knocked out of the race as he received the fewest votes. According to the Conservative Party backbench 1922 Committee, the four survivors are former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (115 votes), International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (82 votes), Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (71 votes), and former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch (58 votes). The 1922 Committee aims to whittle down the field to two candidates in successive rounds of voting before the British parliamentarians break up for the summer recess on Thursday. The final two contenders will then go through a postal ballot of all the Conservative members, numbering around 200,000, over the summer. The winner, to be announced on Sept. 5, will become the new Tory leader and the UK's next prime minister. A live television debate between the Conservative Party leadership candidates which is scheduled on Sky News Tuesday evening was canceled after Sunak and Truss confirmed they won't participate. It is reported that some Conservative MPs have expressed their concerns about the damage the debates are doing to the image of the Conservative Party, exposing disagreements and splits within the party. The Tory leadership race was triggered after Johnson was forced to bow to the inevitable on July 7 by an avalanche of resignations of cabinet ministers and other junior government officials who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson continues to serve as caretaker prime minister until a new Tory leader succeeds him. LSU Ph.D. candidate Zita Husing is examining how AI plays a part in American labor and capitalism, and its impact on disability, race and gender. Credit: LSU Seeing a world increasing its reliance on artificial intelligence, or AI, LSU Ph.D. candidate Zita Husing decided to take a closer look at AI through fiction. Using the fictional androids seen in the movie "Blade Runner," Husing is examining how AI plays a part in American labor and capitalism, and its impact on disability, race and gender. Husing, who is originally from Stuttgart, Germany, is in her fourth year in the English Ph.D. program. "My research and teaching areas are primarily 20th and 21st century American literature and science fiction studies while also engaging in African American studies, disability studies, and women and gender studies," Husing said. She shares more insight into her research, and its implications on the world around us. What is the gap that your analysis is trying to fill? My project investigates new, interdisciplinary theoretical conceptions of the human and non-human digital technologies. As such, my research fills a critical gap: it utilizes the study of narrative to theorize the ways AI can change the conditions of labor and the ways labor contours experience of race, gender, class and disability. The last several years have pointed to the complicated roles artificial intelligence plays in economic and political landscapes, and this project explores how a particular fictional franchise might offer a framework for making AI and human labor compatible and sustainable. What are you researching? My current research project asks: in an era of increasing reliance on artificial intelligence, how can fictional androids help redefine disability, race and gender in the context of American labor? My project considers how the figure of the android reveals alternative labor practices for the Algoricene (the age of algorithms). By discussing the fictional works of Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (1968) and its adaptations "Blade Runner" (1982) and "Blade Runner 2049" (2016), I demonstrate how the android posits opportunities for human-machine collaborations in our futures. I am interested in using these fictional texts since the "Blade Runner" works link the question of what it means to be human to specific fictional moments of capitalist exploitationthat is, moments of dehumanization. Through a critical literary lens, I specifically interrogate how "Blade Runner" makes an argument for what it means to be human by unpacking its associations to systems of corporate capitalist exploitation of laborers, disenfranchisement and dehumanization. What are you learning from this work so far? Engaging with the figure of the android is highly valuable. Foremost, I argue that androids represent class issues and call for a recognition of real-world current conditions of exploited laborers in the U.S. and the world, while I also point out parallels between disenfranchised humans and androids. Overall, androids provide an occasion to comment on capitalist trends that intensify human inequality and labor exploitation. What kind of impact does the representation of AI and machine learning have on things like labor conditions, race, gender, class, disability? Investigating the "Blade Runner" texts invites us to think about our current engagement with AI and machine learning technologies and their ethical aspects. "Blade Runner" invites us through allegories to confront real-world problematics that results from the monopolizing of AI technologies and their implementation into our daily lives. Ironically, the androids in many "Blade Runner" texts appear more human than the humans themselves. Sometimes they demonstrate a sense of cooperation and a vision of equitable futures that the humans do not. The representations of the androids not only invite us to re-evaluate the use of digital technologies to create more equitable futures, but they also open up questions on the opportunities of AI in improving labor conditions as well as race, gender, class and disability inequalities. What kind of implications does this have for the community? In my research, I unpack how the politics of continued dispossession and discrimination result in an ever-widening gap of inequality, while also sharing ideas for resistance and activism with the community. I seek to encourage broader and more robust conversations on more equitable digital futures within the academic humanities community. While considering issues of race and class, I want to continue establishing connections between literary works and real-world race, gender and disability inequalities and share these insights with the LSU community. I am encouraging the LSU community to consider how a literary analysis of the timeless "Blade Runner" franchise matters to re-think dimensions of human experience in terms of race, class, gender and disability in an increasingly digital world. Today, the "Blade Runner" franchise remains relevant due its critique of large techno-conglomerates, which makes us think about the ever-growing influence and power of global corporates such as Meta, Google and Apple. While considering issues of race, class, gender and ableism, I want to establish further connections between literary and new media works that make inequalities visible. Sharing ideas for creating more equitable futures while critically engaging with digital worlds and technologies are key to create new conversations that work towards equitable futures. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain There is a huge and increasing demand for sustainable energy sources across the globe. New work in the International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology, considers fruit and vegetable waste as a potential resource for electricity generation. Chemists Sudha Kumari Jha and Annapurna Jha of Jamshedpur Women's College in Jamshedpur, East Singhbhum, Jharkhand, India, provide details of a microbial fuel cell that uses such waste as its feedstock with thermophilic bacteria, Clostridium cellulose and Clostridium cellulofermentans, obtained from cow dung. Alternative energy sources are urgently needed in the face of anthropogenic climate change driven by rising levels of carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Much investigation and investment have been put into solar, nuclear, wind, geothermal, tidal, and other approaches. Fuel cells that make use of waste materials have also been a focus of this work. The team explains how their system is essentially a bioreactor that can convert chemical energy from inorganic or organic components to electrical energy through the catalytic reactions of microbes. The anaerobic breakdown of carbohydrates present in food waste by those microbes promotes the entire process, the team explains. They tested six different microbial fuel cell setups at room temperature and found that the optimal setup was established in ten days with an 800-milliliter sample and could generate 3 volts. Additionally, the only byproduct of the process is water. The relatively simple setup could be constructed from readily available materials even in the developed world and used with a kit containing the other components. A 3-volt power supply fed with food waste and cow dung would be useful for charging portable devices, such as smartphones and small LED flashlights. More information: Sudha Kumari Jha et al, Generation of bioelectricity using vegetable and fruit wastes, International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology (2022). Sudha Kumari Jha et al, Generation of bioelectricity using vegetable and fruit wastes,(2022). DOI: 10.1504/IJRET.2022.123977 Europe in winter 2025: The simplified topology model represents the natural gas flows between regions. In the picture, the network infrastructure reconstruction measures and gas savings are already taken into account. The fluid mechanical modeling of the gas grid was carried out with the MYNTS simulation software developed by Fraunhofer SCAI. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft If Russia completely stops its gas supplies in the coming months, it would not be possible to make up the shortfall in the short termeven if there were sufficient availability of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the market. In the coming winter, Germany will face a shortage of 30% (Europe, 25%) of the volume of natural gas available in the previous year. The reason: It is impossible to convert the technical infrastructure of the natural gas network so quickly. By 2025, however, the supply gap could be closed by an infrastructure expansion and an expected decline in gas demand. This is the conclusion arising from a study on behalf of ESYS, a joint initiative of the German science academies acatech, Leopoldina and Akademieunion, performed by Fraunhofer IEG, Fraunhofer SCAI, and TU Berlin. For the first time, an investigation is available that examines the effects of a supply stop by modeling the actual physical characteristics and properties of the gas networkother studies have worked only with highly simplified "balance sheet" models. The new approach allows recommendations to be made regarding concrete measures to optimize the infrastructure. The focus is on which technical changes to the gas network are necessary to supply all countries in the European Union and Ukraine with gas. The study examines the situation when gas no longer flows from northeastern Europe to western and southern Europe but in the opposite direction from western and southern Europe (where most LNG terminals are located) to eastern Europe. Even with this flow direction reversal, it would be impossible to supply all countries with similar volumes as before. From the large density of high-volume pipelines in eastern Europe, the network branches out like the circulatory system in the human body. Flow reversal in such a network is a complex problem because there are only a limited number of entry points with technically limited capacity. In addition, there are no German LNG terminals to receive and inject the LNG delivered by ship. Norway, Algeria, and Turkey can only increase their gas supplies by a few percentage pointsindispensable but not suited to be a game changer. Thus, the report concludes that short-term efforts to reduce natural gas demand are essential. To simulate the European gas network, the researchers used the MYNTS (Multiphysical Network Simulator) simulation software developed by Fraunhofer SCAI. The software, which is in use by numerous network providers, is designed to analyze and optimize the operation and planning of complex networks for gas, electricity, and water. MYNTS models and simulates the networks as a system of differential-algebraic equations. The simulation results immediately indicate the effects of changes in various factors, such as limited flow rates. Explore further How blood vessels remember a stroke LEXINGTON, Ky. Fresh off one of the best seasons in program history, Texas Tech volleyball earned another accolade Monday, as the program earned USMC/AVCA Team Academic honors. The honor marks the fourth consecutive season that Tony Greystone's squad was included. The AVCA and USMC Team Academic Award honors volleyball programs that maintain a year-long GPA of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. Texas Tech volleyball opens its season on Aug. 18 with a home scrimmage against North Texas. The Red Raiders will look to build upon a very successful 2021 campaign that featured 17 overall wins and the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. Last month a pair of Red Raiders earned Big 12 Preseason All-Conference honors as both Karrington Jones and Kenna Sauer were named to the 14-player all-conference team. A unanimous selection, Sauer returns for her true senior season after being named an AVCA Southwest All-Region selection and a member of the All-Big 12 First Team a year ago, while Jones returns for her fifth season with the Red and Black. Tech's leader in kills in 2021, Jones was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection in 2021. College Station City Council members discussed plans for street maintenance after a presentation last week from the citys Public Works Department. Emily Fisher, the citys director of public works, presented the plan and said the departments Street Maintenance Division has 19 employees and maintains about 356 centerline miles of roadway. Centerline miles measure the length of a road or highway regardless of how many lanes it has, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The Street Maintenance Division evaluates streets by utilizing a Pavement Condition Index, which assigns a score to every street, Fisher said. A Paver Distress Identification Manual, developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is used to define different distresses or issues found in asphalt and pavement, and it examines the various severity levels, she said. Ten types of distresses in the roads, like cracking or potholes, are examined, and each issue is ranked on a scale of zero to five, Fisher said. For example, a street that has several potholes throughout would be ranked a five, and if it doesnt have any, it would be ranked a zero. Every street receives a ranking and the information is stored in the citys asset management program, she said. These distresses are then calculated in an algorithm that creates the Pavement Condition Index [PCI], which is a score given to the street from zero to 100; zero being the lowest and 100 being the best, Fisher said. The city is divided into subareas and each subarea is given an average PCI. How do we determine when something needs to be done and what needs to be done? Well, through the PCI cost curve, Fisher told the council. The pavement condition is looked at going from zero up to 100, and shows over time how the condition of a street deteriorates. With street traffic and weather-impacted streets, the quality and condition of the street is going to go down. Fisher said when the Street Maintenance Division is looking at repairing potholes and patching streets, it wants to catch those distresses before they become worse. If that maintenance is done early, the condition of the pavement goes up, she said. You are extending the life of your pavement by getting to that maintenance ahead of time, she said. When you are not able to do that and you wait, the street begins to deteriorate and it becomes more expensive to maintain. As time goes on, the street is going to come to a point where it is not able to be maintained by the Public Works Department, and that is when a project becomes a capital project and becomes a full reconstruction. Streetway maintenance funds mostly derive from the citys roadway maintenance fund and a small portion from the general fund, Fisher said. She also presented a draft plan for the next several years in street maintenance, and said she hopes to hold a public meeting in February or March to present upcoming street projects to the public. Council member Elizabeth Cunha asked Fisher what the procedure would be if someone had a pothole that needed to be fixed and wanted to communicate that to the city. Fisher said residents can use SeeClickFix, which is an online and smartphone application that allows citizens to report code enforcement violations and other nonemergency issues, as stated on the citys website. People can also call the Public Works Department, Fisher said. There is a number and email on our website that they can reach out, or they can call me and we will take care of it. College Station City Manager Bryan Woods said public input meetings are another resource for residents to express their maintenance concerns. After Fisher concluded her presentation, council member Dennis Maloney said he appreciated the Public Works Department for staying on top of the upkeep with the citys streets. I appreciate the coordination because it saves us money in the long run. Keep up the good work, he said. To contact the Public Works Department, call 979-764-3690 or email pubworks@cstx.gov. To report an issue through SeeClickFix, visit https://www.cstx.gov/departments___city_hall/commserv/code/see_click_fix. Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Michaelis is getting ready for his 29th move in 50 years. His next stop is to the place he calls home: Aggieland. Michaelis, A&M Class of 1993, was named the next commandant of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University on Tuesday. He will begin his role leading the Corps on Oct. 1, following his retirement as commanding general of the U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The cadet in me from 1989 to 1993 is super excited to be back at Aggieland, Michaelis said. The longest place Ive lived was four years of college at Texas A&M University, so this is coming home. Theres a huge level of excitement in our family right now and we cant wait to get back. Michaelis, who was an E-1 Jock while at A&M, was a distinguished military graduate with a bachelors degree in history. He earned his masters degree in public administration from Harvard and a masters in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. His Army career included serving in command roles at Fort Hood; Fort Lewis, Washington; and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. He served as deputy commanding general (operations) for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky; deputy commanding officer (maneuver) for the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas; executive officer to the undersecretary of the Army; and chief of staff to the commander of the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command in Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Michaelis commanded operations in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and served in leadership roles in operations in Iraq, according to the release. Michaelis replaces retired Brig. Gen. Joe Ramirez Jr., who served as commandant for the Corps of Cadets for 11 years before he was named A&Ms vice president for student affairs in December. Retired Col. Byron Stebbins served as interim commandant. When Michaelis heard Ramirez was moving into his current role, he said he had long conversations with his wife, family and current boss about applying for the position. Michaelis said he submitted an application at the end of February and received a call back in March. In early May, he had an in-person interview with A&M administrators and said it was easy to accept an offer when given. We are at an important inflection point for the Corps of Cadets and I am committed to growing this incredible leadership training program for our students, A&M President M. Katherine Banks said in a statement. General Michaelis, an outstanding former student who has distinguished himself through a decorated military career, is the right leader at the right time for Texas A&M and the Corps. In April, the Corps of Cadets announced its March to 3,000 initiative with a goal of growing current Corps membership from around 2,100 students to over 3,000. A&M has already announced two university-funded scholarships, is revamping recruitment and retention strategies and has plans to add two new dormitories to meet the goal of 3,000 Corps members. Growing the Corps to 3,000 means generating interest in recruiting, precision marketing [and] targeted scholarship opportunities, Michaelis said. I think it also means weve got the right facilities and resources to support a Corps of that size. Yet, getting to 3,000 is not just about marketing and recruiting. Youve got to have a value proposition to young men and women that want to join. In order to make a holistic assessment of where the Corps should go, Michaelis said he must first listen up front and engage in conversations with administrators and stakeholders, such as current students, parents and alumni. Transitioning onto campus should be rather easy for him, though, he said. I taught leadership at West Point for a few years and one of the experiments I did with all of the students that came through my leadership class was for them to draw a picture of leadership, Michaelis said. The ones that most-resonated with me, theres two of them: one was the face of an individual with big ears and a little mouth. Ive got to do a lot of listening. The second was a flock of birds flying in formation and as they moved through different spaces they changed. Leadership is about building a team. When Michaelis comes back to College Station, he said he likes to dine at Wings N More and noted hes looking forward to finding some good Texas barbecue. Television in the Michaelis residence is reserved for the fall. Michaelis said hes looking forward to football season and even received a congratulatory text from Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey on Tuesday after he was announced as A&Ms new commandant. The last time Michaelis was at Kyle Field was in 2019 to watch A&M play Auburn. He added although his wife is an Alabama fan, he plans to be on the field when the Aggies face the Crimson Tide on Oct. 8. I think what youll see is I will be a huge presence right off the bat because thats how I learn is being present on the ground, Michaelis said. I want the Corps to be that place that continues to be the keepers of the tradition, but also some place that people want to experience so they can be better human beings. You are here: World Flash A court in Moscow ruled on Monday to fine Google LLC 21.077 billion rubles (about 369 million U.S. dollars) for repeated failure to delete content prohibited in Russia. The administrative fine amounts to one tenth of the revenue of Google and its affiliated companies registered with the tax authorities in Russia. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed within a time frame. Google-owned YouTube "purposefully contributes to the distribution of unreliable information about the progress of the (Russian) special military operation in Ukraine; materials promoting extremist views and the ideology of terrorist organizations" among other things, Russia's telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor said in a statement last month. In December, a Moscow court fined Google for the first time 7.2 billion rubles (some 126 million U.S. dollars) for its failure to remove banned information. In addition, the U.S. tech giant was fined 15 million rubles (about 260,000 U.S. dollars) last month for repeated refusal to localize the personal data of Russian users. 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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 A group of academics from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has warned of a novel technique that could be used to defeat anonymity protections and identify a unique website visitor. "An attacker who has complete or partial control over a website can learn whether a specific target (i.e., a unique individual) is browsing the website," the researchers said. "The attacker knows this target only through a public identifier, such as an email address or a Twitter handle." The cache-based targeted de-anonymization attack is a cross-site leak that involves the adversary leveraging a service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or YouTube to privately share a resource (e.g., image, video, or a YouTube playlist) with the target, followed by embedding the shared resource into the attack website. This can be achieved by, say, privately sharing the resource with the target using the victim's email address or the appropriate username associated with the service and then inserting the leaky resource using an